Earlier today former Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens, who chaired a commission in charge of drawing up the police reorganisation project, handed Ashdown and Bosnian Prime Minister Adnan Terzic a final report and proposals for the new organisation of security services.
Martens told the press the main recommendation was the establishment of state-level police supervision and organisation, i.e. replacing the entity and cantonal police forces with forces organised within several geographical areas.
Martens said a high degree of agreement had been reached as to professional principles, but that political hurdles had prevented the adoption of the final report.
The lack of total agreement as to future police organisation is due to the refusal by negotiators from the Serb entity to discuss the abolition of entity interior ministries.
Ashdown said such ministries could be retained but added they would have no influence on the work and organisation of police to be supervised by the State Security Ministry.
Terzic said Bosnia currently had 18,000 police organised in 18 security agencies, which he added provided nobody with the necessary level of security.
The European Commission, too, had demanded that Bosnia reorganise its police, setting this as a condition for a possible Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Bosnia and the European Union.
The territorial organisation of the police will be defined by the end of the month, which is to be followed by talks on the implementation of recommendations, said Ashdown.
He underlined the significance of the fact that apart from higher security, Bosnian citizens would also benefit from the considerable money to be saved in the national budget. Bosnia currently sets aside nine percent of its budget to finance the police.
It is estimated that about 5,000 police will be laid off. They will be given appropriate severance pays.