Before the heated debate, the chairman of Bosnia's three-man presidency, Sulejman Tihic, expounded the draft amendments saying that they would help Bosnia to be organised as a more efficient and cost-effective state, more capable of addressing the challenges stemming from the country's efforts to join Euro-Atlantic integration processes
Tihic told parliament that the institution of the President of Bosnia-Herzegovina would be established and that the role of the current Council of Ministers (the government) would be expanded and strengthened.
In addition, the changes will lead to the enhancement of the role of the state parliament and to the institutionalisation of the protection of human rights and freedoms.
"I am convinced that these solutions are good for Serbs, for Bosniaks and for Croats," Tihic said, commenting on the position of the three constituent peoples.
He expressed fear that a status quo, namely retaining the initial solutions from the 1995 Dayton peace accords, would further radicalise the mood and destabilise the country.
Tihic conveyed the assurances of the international community, which insists on the new changes, that another stage of constitutional reforms would ensue immediately after general elections set for October.
In the debate, MPs used well-known rhetorics.
Those for the changes said they paved the way for the country's integration with the developed world and that the amendments would remove some problems which had been the result of the Dayton agreement.
The opponents said that the changes cemented the division of the country into the two entities and retained mechanisms of voting according to the entity model.
In addition, the Bosnian Croat political leadership is divided into the bloc for and the bloc against the changes. The latter fears that the amendments will produce adverse effects on the Croat community.
The debate continued on Tuesday afternoon.
The adoption of the amendments requires a majority vote, and 27 members of the lower house are said to be willing to vote for them. However, the local media speculate that nothing is sure and that three MPs from 'the Yes bloc' have not yet actually expressed their orientation unequivocally.