LOCAL PRESS 

Putin congratulates Statehood Day (Tanjug/RTS) 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, congratulating him on the occasion of Serbian Statehood Day. “Please receive cordial congratulations on the occasion of the national holiday of your country - Statehood Day. In Russia we value highly relations with Serbia, which are based on ancient traditions of brotherly friendship, cultural and spiritual closeness,” Putin stated in his message. He said he is convinced that further development of the bilateral strategic partnership and constructive cooperation in various fields corresponds to the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries and security and stability on the European continent. “I sincerely wish you, Mr. President, good health and success, and to all your fellow citizens - well-being and prosperity,” reads the congratulatory message.

Lavrov extends Statehood Day greetings to Selakovic (Novosti/Tanjug) 

Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wished a happy Statehood Day to Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic. “May this important day for all citizens of Serbia fill their homes with joy and hope for a brighter future. I am convinced that Russia and Serbia will invest maximum efforts in the spirit of strategic partnership to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible,” Lavrov underlined in his greeting card. He also stated that he counts on the continuation of a dynamic bilateral dialogue with the aim of deepening the comprehensive cooperation between our countries and the realization of initiatives launched. Lavrov expressed gratitude for the warm welcome given to him in Belgrade in December 2020 and added that he hopes that a new meeting will take place soon. :Let me extend to you my warmest greetings over the national holiday of the Republic of Serbia – the Statehood Day. I wish you good health, the fulfilment of your professional and personal goals, and to the friendly Serbia – happiness, peace and welfare,” reads the greeting card of Minister Lavrov to Minister Selakovic.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Verdict to Djokic example of how law and justice are trampled on (RTS) 

 

The verdict of the court in Pristina, whereby Serb Zoran Djokic was sentenced to 12 years in prison for alleged violation of the customs of war, is the most flagrant example of how law and justice are trampled on in so-called Kosovo, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced.

The first-instance verdict, which is unfounded on the evidence and testimonies of witnesses, because not a single eyewitness recognized Djokic as the perpetrator, shows the bias and fervor of the courts, the statement said. The Office reminds that the Prosecutor’s Office in Pristina expanded the indictment five days before the sentencing of Djokic, which is “procedurally inadmissible, because no evidence was found against the accused during the procedure”.

Therefore, as it is pointed out, “this shameful verdict cannot be interpreted otherwise than as a trial to someone’s ethnicity, before law and justice”. After the departure of international judges from EULEX, trials for crimes during the war in Kosovo and Metohija are tried only by local Albanian judges, who do not dare to pass acquittals against Serbs, despite all the evidence.

This verdict, it is added in the announcement, denied Djokic the right to a fair trial, and the lawyer hired by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija will file an appeal against this first instance verdict. The office expects justice to be served and Djokic to be released.

Rakic: Pristina’s pressures will not cut off our ties with Belgrade (Politika) 

Thanks to the policy of the Serbia President, we have managed to preserve peace and the people in this region over the past period, the Head of the Serb List Goran Rakic told Politika. He says it is necessary for the Serbs, i.e. the Serb List, which is the strongest political subject in Kosovo and Metohija among the Serbs and the only one that has the support of official Belgrade, to win all ten mandates at the parliamentary elections on Sunday in order to continue the institutional battle.

Serbia favors removing barriers on borders to help economic cooperation in region (Beta) 

Serbia is devoted to removing all obstacles on borders that impede improving regional economic cooperation, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said during a meeting with Transport Community Permanent Secretariat director Matej Zakonjsek. In a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Selakovic pointed out that the Transport Community’s activities were of vital importance to advancing transport in the Western Balkans and the economic development of Serbia and other participants from the region. Selakovic said that Serbia's priorities in the area of transport coincided with the Transport Community’s priorities and that Serbia was undertaking major activities in terms of rebuilding and modernizing rail infrastructure, intense investment in building quality and modern roads, as well as the issue of increasing traffic safety. He stressed that Serbia supported expanding the Green Corridors initiative which has been established between Western Balkan states to include crossing points between neighboring EU member-states.

Government Working group with OSCE on electoral process (Tanjug/RTV/RTS) 

Members of the Working Group for the Improvement of the Electoral Process in Serbia talked on Thursday via video link with representatives of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights about the action plan and future steps leading to comprehensive electoral reform process. The members of the working group pointed out that many OSCE recommendations have already been implemented and emphasized that they continue to cooperate with all competent bodies and international institutions that participate in the improvement of the election process.

The OSCE representatives expressed readiness to continue cooperation and assistance in the areas they cover in order to successfully implement the reform of the electoral process.

REGIONAL PRESS 

 

Coalition for Mostar 2020 calls on BH Bloc and PMP to take part in negotiations on formation of program coalition that would result in their support to SDA’s Zlatko Guzin for Mayor of Mostar (BHT1)

BHT1 reminds that at the repeated voting for Mayor of Mostar, held on Thursday, HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) candidate Mario Kordic and SDA candidate Zlakto Guzin passed into the second round of voting. The First Mostar Party (PMP) nominated SDP’s Arman Zalihic the fourth candidate for the mayoral post, led by the idea that together with Coalition for Mostar there would be sufficient number of votes to outvote HDZ B&H. They requested five-day period for the consultations which was rejected. Commenting on the nomination, Zalihic said for the media that SDA had been aware Kordic would be new Mayor of Mostar once Guzing entered the second round of voting, noting “the session was suspended the moment Guzin and Kordic entered the second round, because it guarantees Kordic’s victory”. The Coalition for Mostar invited the BH Bloc to a meeting scheduled for Friday to discuss their offer of a program-based coalition in exchange for the BH Bloc’s support to Guzin. SDP requirements for the negotiations with the ‘Coalition for Mostar’ are as follows: the four ‘Coalition for Mostar’ councilors in the Mostar City Council returning their mandates due to vote rigging, adoption of decision on closing down of the Uborak landfill, revision of the city’s finances since 2012 and amendments to the Mostar City Statute. BHT1 reports it remains unknown if Guzin will have the support of two councilors from Our Party (NS), and in case he does not, Guzin would have 16 votes, Kordic 14 and the winner would depend on the votes of the three HRS councilors.

Dzaferovic calls for unity of all pro-Bosnian parties in order to accelerate process of election of Mostar Mayor (O kanal)

Bosniak member of B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) said on Thursday that he expects the Mostar Mayor will be elected as soon as possible, calling for unity of all pro-Bosnian parties in order to accelerate the process of election of the Mostar Mayor. Dzaferovic stressed that the government that will guarantee equality for all citizens and peoples who live in Mostar should be established and this should be done through the newly-formed Mostar City Council, concluding that the election of SDA’s Zlatko Guzin as the Mostar Mayor is the best guarantee for this. Commenting on the situation, Dzaferovic said: “There is a group of pro-Bosnian political parties that has 18 councilors, which is majority in Mostar”.

Nelson, Sattler meet with Covic and Izetbegovic to discuss reform of election legislation (Dnevni avaz/Vecernji list)

The last meeting of leaders of HDZ B&H Dragan Covic and SDA Bakir Izetbegovic held with mediation of US Ambassador to B&H Eric Nelson and Head of the EU Delegation to B&H Ambassador Johann Sattler has served as the first but very important step in the process of realization of previously reached agreement on changing the Law on Elections of B&H. According to the daily, there is more talk about the need to change the electoral legislation that would secure legitimate representation of constituent peoples, and according to the daily, one should be glad with the fact that representatives of the US and the EU are aware that this problem must be resolved as soon as possible to satisfaction of all three peoples. The daily further reads that it has learned from “well informed sources” that an agreement has been reached, according to which HDZ B&H and SDA have to submit their proposals of changes to the Law on Elections, which would result in an attempt to reach a compromise proposal at one of future meetings, which would be then sent into the procedure in the parliament of B&H. In this context, daily reads the aim is, which is also being advocated by representatives of the international community, to resolve the issue of changes to the Law on Elections by June so B&H can finally meet the conditions for getting the status of EU candidate. In addition to this, the daily reads that mediation and constructive approach of the US and the EU should result in steps forward.

RS officials react to statements made by Inzko (RTRS)

The Republika Srpska (RS) parliament convened on Thursday and finished the first part of its regular session. Speaker of the RS parliament Nedeljko Cubrilovic said that the RS parliament will form an official stance based on the letter sent by High Representative Valentin Inzko to the RSNA last week. RS MPs discussed the draft of the Law on Protection from Workplace Disturbance on Thursday. The request of the RS parliament for Inzko to present the report on his work in the past 11 years will be discussed next week. This request was filed by the SNSD Caucus. Inzko stated that he is not obligated to present his reports to the RS, but to the UN. He announced the implementation of sanctions against the RS if his request is not fulfilled. Inzko stressed that he will impose the Law on Negation of Genocide in B&H if the RS does not fulfil the request by April. He said that he is willing to come to Banja Luka and explain what is wrong with the awards given to Momcilo Krajisnik, Radovan Karadzic and Biljana Plavsic in 2016. The ruling majority in the RS parliament condemned the requests made by Inzko and stated that he should have presented his work to the RS parliament years ago. Head of the SNSD Caucus Igor Zunic said that Inzko is apparently using blackmail at the end of his mandate. He added that he does not know what this means for democracy and freedom of thought in B&H. Zunic said that he knows Inzko sees B&H as his international protectorate, but everyone in B&H has the right to think how they want to. Cubrilovic stated that Inzko is adding more material to an already politically polluted public space. He stressed that this cannot contribute towards the creation of better relations between the people in B&H. Cubrilovic said that this institution would take the final position on the letter that was sent by Inzko. He added that Inzko’s way of addressing the RS parliament was “inappropriate”. “I think this letter is an attempt to impose collective responsibility on one ethnic group. It is also distasteful to compare Nazis from the World War II and people who may have committed crimes during the civil war in B&H,” Cubrilovic stated. ATV reminds that the opposition in the RS parliament does not support the request for Inzko to file his work report. PDP representative in RS parliament Ljubisa Krunic said he respects the statute of his party and the stance of the party will be agreed on by the highest party institutions.

Reactions of politicians in RS: Inzko is deliberately taking extreme methods (Glas Srpske)

Glas Srpske brings reactions of politicians in the RS to the latest demands coming from HR Valentin Inzko related to the option to impose a law on denial of the genocide unless the RS parliament withdraws awards given to, as he said, war criminals. According to officials of the RS, HR only deteriorates relations among the peoples as his mandate is getting closer to an end and the latest threat proves that he is a factor that disturbs the relations. Inzko set end of April as a deadline to take away the aforementioned awards. Commenting on this issue, Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik told media that “the RS is too big for him to threat it.” According to Dodik, Inzko obviously believes that he can threat and that all that he does and threats that he imposes or some sort of consequences that he mentions only tell how much he cannot stand the RS and Serbs. Leader of the United Srpska Nenad Stevandic told the daily that Inzko is doing nothing that makes sense and that would be calming for the political scene in the RS. In his opinion, Inzko is deliberately taking extreme methods and he waited for five years to pass since handover of the awards. Stevandic argued that he did not notice Inzko demanding to take awards from former generals of the Bosniak Army (RBiH) Army Sakib Mahmuljin or Rasim Delic and assessed that at this point, Inzko is acting like a demobilized soldier of the RBiH Army. Stevandic underlined that the Serb people must act together when it comes to reactions to behavior of the HR. Leader of SDS Mirko Sarovic said that Inzko’s announcement on imposing of the law on denial of the genocide and that the RS will “suffer” is a direct consequence of long-year irresponsible policy of SNSD and their leader Dodik, who constantly creates tensions and enemies of the RS due to his own interest. Sarovic said that the RS parliament should take a clear stance on Inzko’s demands; the proponent should say whether he still remains firm about his proposal while MPs and parties should say whether they changed their standpoints.

Cvijanovic: Inzko decided to additionally poison all relations in B&H (RTRS)

RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic said that HR Valentin Inzko decided to additionally poison all relations in B&H like if they were not poisoned enough and in her opinion, he started to insult collectivity. She said: “I do not stand to talk about any people on the Planet in this way; that someone else is lecturing what is better for the people, unless they are members of the people. Then, we can be rude and return and deal with the First World War and the Second World War and other stuff, but we will not.” Cvijanovic also wondered why Inzko raised the issue of decorations right now and added that the answer to this question hides the explanation on “whose player” he really is. “He crossed the red line when he said that he did not impose the collective responsibility on Serbs and that the RS is a burden for Serbs. How does he, as an Austrian without any obligations towards Austria, know what the RS means to Serbs,” Cvijanovic said. Cvijanovic told RTRS that Inzko is trying to leave a mess to his successor instead of discussing B&H’s candidate status for the EU and emphasized that there is “a malignant influence of both the High Representative and such policies which do not allow people to perform their functions normally, force to transfer of competencies and exert pressures to have something done at the level of B&H although the Constitution of B&H stipulates that it should be done at the level of the RS”. Cvijanovic claimed that the High Representative is “an instrument that is supposed to shake relations in B&H” as well as that he is a lobbyist for Bosniak policy.

Russian Ambassador to Serbia says that Russia will not approve the attempts to appoint new HR (Dnevni avaz)

Germany recently nominated Christian Schmidt for successor of Valentin Inzko. Ambassador of Russia to Serbia Alexandar Botsan-Kharchenko told media that Russia does not approve attempts to appoint a new High Representative. According to Botsan-Kharchenko, appointment of a new High Representative is not in line with decisions of the Peace Implementation Council. Commenting Schmidt’s nomination, he said that it is an attempt to create policies which suit the West and which aim at more pressure in order to allegedly achieve better functionality of B&H, but in fact Western countries want centralization of B&H and weakening of the RS. Political analyst Zlatko Hadzidedic stated that he does not believe that Russia will really block the appointment of new High Representative, but there will be a political game of powers. “If Germany participates in pressuring Russia, Russia will also apply pressure somewhere else. I do not think that Russia is a protector or an ally of Serbia or the RS, at least not in an essential sense. For them it is a leverage they can use to put the West under pressure over some other regions such as Ukraine, where the West undermined Russian strategic interests” said Hadzidedic. According to him, B&H is too optimistic about its cooperation with the EU and too paranoid when it comes to Russia. He underlined that Russia is fighting for its interests, but it was the European countries that blocked all activities of High Representative aimed at strengthening B&H’s sovereignty. Analyst Zlatko Dizdarevic said that he is not surprised by Russian stance. According to him, some political circles in B&H have been too enthusiastic regarding the election of new US President Joseph Biden, forgetting the wider global context. He reminded that Russia has been blocking OHR for years, and that media speculations about an alleged Russian-German deal on new High Representative are unrealistic. He underlined that it is high time to start building B&H as a sable state based on internal agreement without expecting crucial decisions to be made by Russia, USA or EU.

Dodik: Appointment of HJPC illegal and against constitution; Announces possible motion before B&H CC; Other reactions from RS (RTRS)

There are no representatives of the Serb people at the head of judicial institutions in B&H, as well as from the RS, after Halil Lagumdzija was elected the new President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of B&H. Such an unprecedented disproportion, as expected, is not disputable for Lagumdzija. And he has no intention of changing it. However, it is disputable for Serbs from the RS. Serb member and Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik announces the possibility of an appeal before the Constitutional Court of B&H. Dodik stated that the HJPC B&H was elected illegally, and that he will see if there are any procedural errors and, if necessary, he will address the B&H CC. Dodik also said that nothing should be hoped for or expected in regards to the Constitutional Court. “The HJPC was elected outside the Constitution, which is violence pushed by foreigners in B&H. This way of electing judges does not exist anywhere in the world,” Dodik underlines. In his comment on reactions from the RS to his election, Lagumdzija said there was nothing disputable and a balance was created between the three institutions: the HJPC B&H, the Court of B&H and the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H. He also added that Bosniaks did not hold any of the high-ranking posts in the B&H judiciary for the past four years. Former HJPC president, Milan Tegeltija pointed out that the election of the leadership of the HJPC was illegal, and that the election of the President of the Council led to five Bosniaks, two Croats, one from the Others and no Serbs or anyone else from the RS at the eight leading positions in the judiciary at the B&H level. Meanwhile, Valentin Inzko congratulated Halil Lagumdzija, newly elected President of the HJPC, as well as Biljana Simeunovic and Sanela Gorusanovic-Butigan, who were elected as Vice Presidents. “Peoples and citizens of B&H demand and deserve an accountable justice system. Restoring public trust in judicial institutions needs to be the guiding principle in the coming period and HJPC’s role in that process is crucial. This institution is the one to lead judicial reform efforts and ensure independence, impartiality and professionalism of the B&H judiciary,” said Inzko.

US Embassy and EUD expect new HJPC to accelerate judicial reforms (N1)

The US Embassy in B&H and the EU Delegation (EUD) to B&H issued a joint statement on Thursday which reads that the election of new leadership of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of B&H should turn a page and open a new chapter. “We expect the new HJPC leadership to urgently accelerate judicial reforms necessary for B&H’s EU integration. The HJPC’s upcoming actions will determine the institution’s credibility towards the public and the community of donors who assist the institution. A credible, transparent and trustworthy HJPC is a precondition for functioning rule of law in B&H. We expect HJPC members to lead by example”, signatories to the joint statement said. They note that the HJPC’s top priority should be the thorough implementation of the integrity-related amendments to the HJPC Law, once the current draft is adopted by the B&H parliament. The statement reads that the new leadership is expected to accelerate judicial reforms that are necessary for the EU integration of B&H, concluding that the credible, transparent and reliable HJPC is a precondition for the rule of law to function in B&H. Head of the OSCE Mission to B&H Kathleen Kavalec congratulated to newly elected President of B&H HJPC and Vice Presidents. “The Mission supports B&H HJPC as the key institution whose mandate is to secure independence, objectivity and professionalism of B&H judiciary. B&H HJPC as a body in charge not only for appointment of judges and prosecutors but also for creation, evaluation and dissemination of judicial policy in B&H plays the key role in reinstating trust of public in judicial institutions and it must be the leader in judicial reform” Kavalec noted and added that B&H HJPC must serve as an example while adhering to the highest standards of ethics in the work on strengthening of appointment procedures and disciplinary procedures. “The OSCE Mission to B&H stays a close partner of B&H HJPC and it looks forward to cooperation with newly appointed leadership in all these processes whose goal is to strengthen integrity, transparency and responsibility of B&H judiciary,” Kavalec pointed out.