NEW GOVERNMENT OF BOSNIA'S CROAT-MUSLIM ENTITY ELECTED

SARAJEVO, Feb 14 (Hina) - The lower house of the parliament of Bosnia's Croat-Muslim entity on Friday approved the appointment of the entity's new government, thus completing the establishment of the executive authorities in line with the results of elections held in early October last year. #L# The new government is headed by Ahmet Hadzipasic, a businessman from Zenica who had been nominated by the Party of Democratic Action (SDA). Hadzipasic's deputy from among Bosnian Croats and the new finance minister is Dragan Vrankic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), while the Serb deputy is Gavrilo Grahovac of the Party for Bosnia- Herzegovina (SBiH). As in the Bosnian Serb entity, the new government of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina as of now has to include a strictly defined number of ministers from among the country's three constituent peoples. The Bosniak people, as the most numerous one, have been given, apart from the premier's post, eight more ministerial posts. Croats are leading five ministries, while Serbs are at the helm of three ministries. Opposition parties, particularly the Social Democratic Party (SDP), opposed the election of the new federal government. Representatives of the party bench also stated that a Bosniak holding the premier's post in the Federation was contrary to the Constitution since it violated constitutional provisions on the equal representation of the three peoples in the executive, legislative and judicial authorities. The parliamentary majority, made up of the SDA, HDZ, and the SBiH dismissed the claims, endorsing the appointment of Hadzipasic's government. The new premier said in his address to the parliament that solving economic problems would be the main priority of his government. He estimated that with maximum efforts engaged stabilising the country's economy would take at least eight years. (hina) rml