MOSTAR, Jan 26 (Hina) - Representatives of Bosnia's strongest political parties held a meeting on Friday evening without international representatives, which is a "big step forward", to discuss crucial Bosnian issues, a member of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) presidency, Niko Lozancic, told Hina on Saturday. The leaders of eight of Bosnia and Herzegovina's strongest political parties met behind closed doors in Mrakovica near Prijedor, for the first time tackling crucial state issues without representatives of the international community. Participating in the meeting besides Lozancic were Zlatko Lagumdzija of the Social Democratic Party, Safet Halilovic of the Party for BH, Sulejman Tihic of the Party of Democratic Action, Dragan Kalinic of the Serb Democratic Party, Kresimir Zubak of the New Croatian Initiative (NHI), Milorad Dodik of the Party of Independent Social Democrats, and Mladen I
MOSTAR, Jan 26 (Hina) - Representatives of Bosnia's strongest
political parties held a meeting on Friday evening without
international representatives, which is a "big step forward", to
discuss crucial Bosnian issues, a member of the Croatian Democratic
Union (HDZ) presidency, Niko Lozancic, told Hina on Saturday.
The leaders of eight of Bosnia and Herzegovina's strongest
political parties met behind closed doors in Mrakovica near
Prijedor, for the first time tackling crucial state issues without
representatives of the international community.
Participating in the meeting besides Lozancic were Zlatko
Lagumdzija of the Social Democratic Party, Safet Halilovic of the
Party for BH, Sulejman Tihic of the Party of Democratic Action,
Dragan Kalinic of the Serb Democratic Party, Kresimir Zubak of the
New Croatian Initiative (NHI), Milorad Dodik of the Party of
Independent Social Democrats, and Mladen Ivanic of the Party of
Democratic Progress.
Lozancic said all politicians were agreed that constitutional
reforms must be completed in both Bosnian entities as soon as
possible in order to enable the holding of elections later this
year.
"Everyone is agreed, and you know this was a problem... that each
people should choose its representatives for national bodies of
representation," he said.
Lozancic confirmed there was considerable difference in views on
the introduction of a House of Peoples in the Bosnian Serb entity's
parliament and the creation of a joint army, over which Banja Luka
is under strong pressure from the West.
Lozancic maintains the current military situation, with two joined
components in the Federation, the Croat and Muslim, and the Bosnian
Serb army, will not be viable. He believes his party's proposal is
the most realistic, envisaging a three-component joint army on
state level in which the national components are preserved.
Asked about the previously opposite views of the Bosnian Croat
parties HDZ and NHI, Lozancic said there were "no differences" at
the meeting.
(hina) ha sb