TOMAC: CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES IN BOSNIA LEAST UNFAVOURABLE SOLUTION

ZAGREB, March 27 (Hina) - Constitutional changes in Bosnia- Herzegovina reflect the actual situation in the country and are "the least unfavourable solution", Sabor vice-president Zdravko Tomac said at a panel discussion in Zagreb on Wednesday, calling on Bosnian Croat parties to seek joint stands. #L# "The constitutional changes as such are the least unfavourable solution," said the chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee at the panel discussion, which focused on constitutional changes in Bosnia and the emigration of ethnic Croats. Tomac urged Bosnian Croats to stop arguing among themselves and looking back and to follow developments in the international community regarding solutions on public law in the region. Attending the panel were also a vice-president of the Bosnian Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BiH), Martin Raguz, and the president of the parliamentary Committee on Immigrants, Milan Kovac (HDZ). Present were also an official from the Bosnian embassy in Zagreb, several foreign ambassadors, and officials from the Croatian Foreign Ministry. Bosnia's ruling Alliance for Changes today supported an agreement on constitutional changes in the country, saying that it ensured full protection for the country's vital national interests. Ivo Komsic, vice-president of Bosnia's Social Democratic Party (SDP), one of the members of the Alliance, said the introduction of a Council of Peoples in the Bosnian Serb entity confirmed a full symmetry of constitutional solutions in both entities. Raguz disagreed saying the agreement was unfair towards Croats and "inconsistent", because it maintained lack of symmetry in constitutional solutions for the two entities. Komsic said the only solution that was not the same in both entities was the fact that the Council of Peoples of the Croat-Muslim federation decided about all laws, while in the Serb entity it decided only about laws which were of national interest. Raguz warned that there was a danger that the constitutional changes could lead to the country's transformation into a federation with a Serb and a Muslim-dominated entity. An HDZ deputy in the Croatian parliament, Milan Kovac, said the agreement was imposed and jeopardised the survival of Bosnian Croats. He condemned the policy of the Croatian government, which he said was not doing anything to protect Croats in Bosnia- Herzegovina. (hina) rml