Belgrade DMH 071113

LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Brussels meeting important for Ashton’s report to EU (Beta/RTS)

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has stated that yesterday’s meeting with the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton in Brussels was important because she should submit a report on the implementation of the Brussels agreement, prior to the decision of the European Council about opening the accession talks with Serbia. After the international conference on media dubbed “Freedom of Expression and Democracy in the Digital Era,” Dacic has pointed that it was important to discuss the local elections in Kosovo, as well as other subjects, such as the police and judiciary. Even more important, however, was that we have already got, or will have after the second round of elections, the mayors in nine out of ten municipalities, i.e. the legitimate authorities that are recognized not just by Belgrade or Pristina, but also by the international community, Dacic said. He also invited the Kosovo Serbs to approach the repeated elections at three polling stations in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, adding that it is a matter of survival and they are deciding on their fate. Dacic has emphasized that if they do not vote, there is the risk of losing everything. “Serbia cannot defend you more than this. Therefore, I call upon the Serbs to turn out for the elections, not because of us in the government, but because it is about their destiny and survival,” the Prime Minister told the press following the conference.

Petrovic appealed at OAS to not recognize Kosovo (Politika)

“Serbia urges the members of the Organization of American States (OAS) who have not recognized the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija to remain at that position, as otherwise a dangerous global precedent would be made,” Serbian Ambassador to the U.S. Vladimir Petrovic has stated at the session of the OAS Permanent Council, held in Washington. He pointed for the representatives of the countries from the South, Central and North America that non-accepting the secession of Kosovo is of great importance for the preservation of the international legal system, and in creating conditions for the success of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. “The talks in Brussels are the only possible option, in which international support is of utmost importance,” Petrovic said. The Secretary General of the OAS Jose Miguel Insulza has underlined that this organization shares the same interests and values as Serbia, and defends the principles of the UN. 

Rikalo: 23,000 voters can vote at repeated elections (Beta)

Member of the Central Election Commission (CIK) of Kosovo Nenad Rikalo has told Beta that elections will be repeated on Thursday, 17 November, at three election centers in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, where around 23,000 voters will be able to vote. “The CIK has decided to repeat the local elections at three election centers, i.e. at 27 polling stations, in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. There are 23,378 names of voters with the right to vote on election rolls for these three elections centers,” said Rikalo.

Gaon: Enough time for repeated elections (RTS)

“There is enough time to prepare for the repeated elections at three polling stations in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on 17 November,” the spokesperson of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Nikola Gaon said. “The OSCE has assumed the role of facilitator in the local elections in northern Kosovo, in line with the Brussels agreement and at the request of all the parties involved. We will continue fulfilling our role in this process, and the two-week deadline to repeat the first round of elections in northern Kosovska Mitrovica is not a problem. The decision on the date for the vote is up to the Central Election Commission (CIK) in Pristina, and the OSCE Mission is required to provide technical support during the entire electoral process and it has the capacity to do that. We expect the security structures in Kosovo to make sure we can carry out our tasks in a safe environment. The security structures, with which the OSCE has been in constant contact since the beginning of the preparations for the vote, need to take all necessary measures to ensure safe conduct of the entire process,” Gaon said.

Security Agreement signed between Serbia and B&H (Tanjug)

The Serbian Government and the B&H Council of Minister have signed in Belgrade the Security Agreement that will enable more successful battle of the two states against crime and higher level of economic cooperation. The signing of the agreement was attended by the Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic who pointed out that with this document the two states are regulating cooperation of the interior ministries and security agencies, and at the same time creating conditions for more efficient cooperation in the sphere of the defense industry of the two states. The agreement will also help in greater security of citizens, said Vucic, adding that with this document they are sending a clear message to all those on the other side of the law that state or any other borders will not help them in performing criminal acts.

REGIONAL PRESS

Tomasica – largest mass grave (Oslobodjenje)

The mass grave Tomasica is the largest one found in Bosnia from where 369 remains of victims were exhumed. Families of victims and associations say that this place should be marked in a decent way while others suggest a memorial center. 

Investigation into transferable prices in Omarska (Dnevni Avaz)

Four months since the authorities of Republika Srpska started investigating business of Arcelor Mittal, majority owner of iron stone mine in Omarska near Prijedor, there are still no proofs this company was pulling out the money from the entity with transferable prices. Economic analyst Sinisa Bozic says that eventual fraud with transferable prices, if they exist at all, could have been discovered a long time ago. He stresses that domestic legislature has regulated this sphere in a good way and also harmonized it with the European regulation.

Organized Balkan group operating in Austria (Nezavisne Novine)

An organized Balkan mafia group is stealing trucks and heavy construction machines in Austria and selling them to construction companies in Bosnia on the black market, Austrian media reported. Even though it was believed the group does not exist anymore, there were few recent cases of theft.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Serbia, Kosovo vow to keep peace on track after poll violence (EUbusiness, 6 November 2013)

(BRUSSELS) - The premiers of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaci and Ivica Dacic, vowed Wednesday to keep a peace deal on track despite election violence by Serb extremists in Kosovo.

"Both governments condemned the incidents," Thaci said as election officials in Kosovo ordered a re-run vote in a town where Serbs stormed a polling station and destroyed ballot boxes on Sunday.

The election was part of an historic April peace deal brokered by the European Union's top diplomat Catherine Ashton, who in exchange offered the onetime foes closer ties with the 28-nation bloc.

"I am pleased that the prime ministers agreed today on the way forward for completing successfully the electoral process in northern Kosovo," Ashton said, after hosting the two premiers in the latest in a series of EU-sponsored peace talks.

She also said the two had agreed to "continue with accelerated pace" on the ground-breaking April deal, a key step in Serbia's bid to join the EU.

Dacic meanwhile urged ethnic Serbs, who make up the majority in northern Kosovo, to turn out in numbers for the November 17 re-run in Kosovska Mitrovica and to peacefully cast their votes.

"We cannot expect millions of people to sacrifice for those who have such imprudent stance," he told reporters. "Nobody can expect (Serbia's) seven million people to sacrifice for 20,000 or so in Mitrovica."

"The vote must be peaceful."

Belgrade last year was granted EU "candidate status" but is awaiting an official date, hopefully in January, to start membership negotiations.

The decision expected in the coming weeks hinged on Serbia's support for the Sunday polls. Serbia does not recognise breakaway Kosovo's 2008 unilateral declaration of independence.

Some 120,000 ethnic Serbs live in Kosovo, which has a population of 1.8 million. Around a third of the Serbs live in the north where they make up the majority and control some public institutions.

Kosovo's Thaci meanwhile said Pristina "has passed the European test by organising an election throughout the territory and by including all the people".

In Kosovo, the central electoral commission said results from three polling stations in Serb-populated Kosovska Mitrovica were "annulled due to damaged ballot boxes".

Voter participation by minority Serbs in the north, who have rejected Pristina's authority since 2008, was crucial for both Serbia and Kosovo to accelerate their EU membership bids.

Kosovo's independence is recognised by more than 100 states, including the United States and 23 of 28 EU member countries.

Serbia’s Central Bank Lowers Rates as 2014 Economic Outlook Dims (Bloomberg, by Gordana Filipovic, 7 November 2013)

Serbia’s central bank cut borrowing costs for the second straight month, taking advantage of slowing inflation days after the government’s 2014 draft budget signaled a weaker economic outlook.

The Narodna Banka Srbije in Belgrade, the capital, cut the one-week repurchase rate by a half point to 10 percent, according to a statement on its website today. Nine of 24 economists in a Bloomberg survey predicted a quarter-point cut, four saw a half-point reduction and 11 predicted no change.

Serbian policy makers are joining a regional round of monetary easing as central banks from Romania to Hungary reduce the cost of credit to revive their economies. Serbia last cut its benchmark rate on Oct. 18, with the central bank citing confidence in the government’s fiscal restraint amid appreciation pressures on the dinar, which has prompted the regulator to buy euros to stem currency gains.

“As inflationary pressures and inflation expectations continue to subside, the Executive Board expects year-on-year inflation to fall close to the lower end of the target tolerance band in October,” policy makers said in the statement. “Inflation being already at a low level, future monetary policy measures will be geared at keeping it within the target tolerance band.”

The dinar traded 0.1 percent weaker at 114.1430 per euro at 12:02 p.m. in Belgrade, after the announcement, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Fiscal Outlook

The government projects 2014 economic growth at 1 percent, according to the draft budget, compared with a 2 percent forecast by the International Monetary Fund and a maximum 0.5 percent estimate by the Fiscal Council, a three-member body appointed by parliament to oversee budgetary compliance.

Serbia has pledged a three-year fiscal consolidation of 1.6 billion euros ($2.2 billion) through 2016. Savings in the consolidated budget of 0.1 percent of gross domestic product will be equivalent to about 30 million euros. One-time spending to overhaul state companies and prop up some commercial banks will push the 2014 deficit to 7.1 percent of GDP from 6.5 percent this year.

A rate cut “is a sign that the central bank is convinced the government will implement fiscal consolidation measures,” Ljiljana Grubic, an economist at Raiffeisen Bank AD in Belgrade, said by phone today. “But it’s also a sign that economic growth next year will be a greater problem than this year.

Italy-Bosnia: support for independent judiciary (ANSAmed, 6 November 2013)

Ambassador Corrias meets with head of Bosnian court

Italian Ambassador Ruggero Corrias stressed the importance of an independent judiciary Wednesday after meeting with Judge Meddzida Krso, President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ''The independence of the judiciary is one of the foundations of democracy and rule of law. Italy strongly supports this principle and, to this end, supports structure dialogue between the EU and Bosnia on the justice system.'' Ambassador Corrias and Judge Kreso discussed several issues pertaining to justice and Rule of Law in Bosnia. Corrias reiterated Italy's full support for all the country's judicial institutions, as their independence constitutes a founding principle of every democracy.
''Structured dialogue between the EU and Bosnia on the justice system is producing significant results,'' the ambassador said.

Vuk Jeremic Founds Research Centre in Serbia (Balkan Insight, 6 November 2013)

The Serbian ex-foreign minister and UN General Assembly president has set up his own think tank dealing with international politics and sustainable development.

Former Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has set up his own think tank, the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development, CIRSD.

The Center will engage young experts from Serbia in implementing international political and sustainable development projects.
"CIRSD will formally function as part of the institutions in charge of the issues within the Columbia University global network," said Jeremic, who served as foreign minister from 2008 to 2012 under Serbia's former Democratic Party-led government.

He also served as president of the UN General Assembly from September 2012 - September 2013.
According to Jeremic, CIRSD will undertake independent research and analysis and come up with practical recommendations to improve cooperation between countries and raise awareness of changes on a global level.
It will advocate a more open, inclusive and secure international system and promote sustainable development, he added.
One of the guests at the opening ceremony in Belgrade on Tuesday was US economic expert Jeffrey Sachs.
"CIRSD will secure the role of Serbia and the entire region in the academic engagement in solving the key issues of humankind," Sachs said.
Jeremic is the CIRSD's president while former Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos is honorary president.
The advisory council comprises Sachs, Kuwaiti former deputy prime minister Sheikh Muhammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, former prime minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, the former foreign ministers of Switzerland, Cyprus, Morocco, Senegal, Chile and Indonesia, as well as Director of the Development Research Center of the xxx State Council, Li Wei.
The Center will be funded from private sources and its financial report will be published on the Center's website at the end of the year.

Bosnian MP Sees Dark Forces Behind Arms Row (BIRN, by Elvira M. Jukic, 7 November 2013)

The MP from the Bosnian town where a cache of grenades was found last week accused political rivals and 'misused' institutions of targeting the town and himself.

Semsudin Mehmedovic, MP for the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action, SDA, on November 6 said he had nothing to do with the ammunition found in his hometown of Tesanj, calling the story a set-up directed against the small town in Central Bosnia.
“There is an organized and perfidious campaign against the town of Tesanj and me,” Mehmedovic said, referring to that the State Investigative and Protection Agency, SIPA, which found more than 650 grenades in the woods near the town last week.

Mehmedovic said he expected the investigation in this case, and a similar previous case, to wrap up by the end of this month.
“If not, I expect the responsible officials to resign,” Mehmedovic added, urging an end to what he called a negative campaign against him and his hometown.
SIPA recently found a total of 652 grenades in Tresnjev Panj, near Tesanj, and is investigating who might be responsible for concealing so much ammunition.
Media reports said that there might be other locations near Tesanj where ammunition was hidden, as the newly discovered grenades were allegedly stored elsewhere before being taken into the woods and abandoned.
“I have absolutely nothing to do with anything I am accused of by people gathered around my political rivals,” he said.

“I plan to fight against the intelligence and counter-intelligence game and the misuse of important state institutions like SIPA,” he added.

Mehmedovic was not specific about who was misusing state institutions and targeting him and Tesanj.

However, he criticized the director of SIPA, Goran Zubac, for timing the announcement about finding the grenades at the same time as a story about the discovery of the largest mass grave in Tomasica near the town of Prijedor.

Prijedor lies in the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, and Zubac is an ethnic Serb.
The MP also said he suspected the grenades might be from the nearby town of Teslic, which is also in Republika Srpska.
“I suspect that the ammunition found in Tesanj is exactly from Teslic,” Mehmedovic said, adding that his hometown was full of successful businesses and the recent claims were damaging its reputation.

SIPA arrested Mehmedovic, a former policeman, in July, in connection with allegations that officers he controlled during the 1992-5 war abused civilian prisoners in Tesanj in 1992 and 1993.
He was released after it was determined that SIPA had not obtained prior approval from the State Prosecutor, which Mehmedovic's attorney said occurred was because he was about to testify in a case against SIPA director Zubac for alleged war crimes against Bosniaks, in Ilidza.

Croatian Serbs to Challenge Vukovar Cyrillic Ban (BIRN, by Josip Ivanovic, 7 November 2013)

The Serb minority in the Croatian city of Vukovar plans to appeal against a local ban on Cyrillic imposed amid a bitter dispute over the introduction of Croatian-Serbian bilingualism.

The president of the Council of the Serbian National Minority in Vukovar, Djordje Macut, said on Wednesday that it would demand that changes to the city statute banning the official introduction of bilingualism are reversed.

Right-wing parties on the council voted in the changes on Monday, proclaiming Vukovar a “city of special significance” exempt from Croatian minority rights legislation because of what it suffered when it was besieged and destroyed by Serb forces in 1991.

The move came after months of protests sparked by the official introduction of bilingualism, as envisaged by the law in places where a minority makes up more than a 30 per cent of the population, as Vukovar’s Serb community does.

Macut said that if Cyrillic was banned in Vukovar, other minorities in Croatia could also sufffer as a result.

“By changing the law, bilingualism can be stopped in Vukovar, but will it then happen in other towns with Italians, Hungarians…How to explain to them that they can no longer use that right? I think this just opened Pandora’s box,” Macut told local media.

He said that he would ask Croatia’s ministry of public administration to examine the legality of the Vukovar statute change.

The Cyrillic ban was also condemned by Croatian Serb politicians, who accused right-wingers of manipulating the issue for their own advantage.

“The Cyrillic script was never a problem, but now, after 20 years, it became one. Thisis not the product of emotions, but a product of politicians,” said Milorad Pupovac, the President of the Serb National Council.

The Zagreb-based Youth Initiative for Human Rights, YIHR, demanded the resignation of Croatia’s war veterans minister Predrag Matic, accusing him of “unacceptable statements and insults about bilingualism in Vukovar”.

YIHR was referring to a statement that Matic gave to Croatian newspaper Vecernji, in which he questioned Vukovar Serbs’ loyalty and respect towards the country.

“With this and the statement that Vukovar Serbs are not facing the past properly, you are targeting the largest minority in Croatia as concealers of war crimes…This is not in line with democratic standards and it shows intolerance,” YIHR said in an open letter

Vukovar, on the border with Serbia, was besieged and demolished by the Yugoslav Army and Serbian paramilitaries in 1991, becoming a symbol of Croatian resistance.

War veterans, supported by right-wing politicians and the Catholic church in Croatia, claim that the trauma that Croats went through in Vukovar during wartime is still too powerful to introduce Serb minority rights in the city.