The rejection of the changes is likely to halt the entire process of constitutional reforms.
In the 42-seat House of Representatives, 26 members voted for the draft changes, but the adoption of the bill required a two-third majority, i.e. 28 votes in favour.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), nine out of ten deputies of the Party of Democratic Action, five independent deputies and a deputy of the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia Herzegovina (HDZ BH), Vlatka Komsic, voted for the amendments.
The changes, which seven major political parties recently agreed on at the insistence of the international community, were turned down in the parliament due to the strong opposition of Croat deputies from the newly-established HDZ 1990 party, the Party of Bosnia-Herzegovina led by a former Bosnian foreign minster, Haris Silajdzic, the Radical Party "Vojislav Seselj" and four independent deputies.
The ambassadors of the United States and the European Union in Sarajevo who attended the session expressed disappointment at the outcome of the voting.
On behalf of the United States I want to express sincere disappointment, US Ambassador Douglas McElhaney, who has been a mediator in the negotiations on constitutional changes for almost ten months, told reporters in Sarajevo. He, however, did not say which measures would Washington take.
The head of the European Commission Delegation in Bosnia, Michael Humphreys, said Brussels would be disappointed, adding that constitutional reforms simply must be discussed if Bosnia wanted to join European institutions.
On Tuesday, at the start of the discussion on this topic 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.
"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.
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 has been 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.
SDP president Zlatko Lagumdzija accused the "the fresh HDZ" and the Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina of keeping Bosnia in the Dayton frameworks, adding that this was done in alliance with Seselj's radicals.
The President of the Bosnian Serb entity and head of the SDS, Dragan Cavic, said that those who turned town the proposed amendments to the constitution wold not not have anyone on the Serb side to talk about a similar project.
As the result of turning down the amendment, the elections in Bosnia, scheduled for 1 October, will be implemented in line with the Dayton Agreement and the next opportunity for constitutional reforms will be in four years.