HIGH REP. IN BOSNIA REJECTS THREE MINISTERIAL CANDIDATES

MOSTAR, June 25 (Hina) - The Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia did not let two Croats and one Muslim take ministerial posts in the newly-formed Herzegovina-Neretva Canton government after it was established they were unsuitable for such duties, the OHR's Mostar branch said on Wednesday. The three men are Goran Bilic, nominated for the office of cantonal interior minister, Zeljko Raguz, nominated for cantonal education minister -- both from Bosnia's Croatian Democratic Union party (HDZ BiH) -- and Party of Democratic Action's (SDA) Kemal Isakovic, nominated for cantonal justice minister. In rejecting the nominations, the international community took into account involvement in war crimes, criminal acts, and knowledge about obstruction of the peace process, said Avid Benes, spokeswoman for OHR's Mostar office. She declined to say what the three men were accused of, saying only the OHR decision to turn down their nominations was final. Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Prime Minister Miroslav Coric said the decision surprised him. He urged HDZ BiH and SDA to nominate new people for the vacant posts. (hina) ha sb