PETRITSCH FOR GIVING BOSNIA ANOTHER CHANCE FOR ELECTORAL LAW

SARAJEVO, June 23 (Hina) - The international community's High Representative for Bosnia has recommended to the Council of Europe to give Bosnia another chance to pass a permanent electoral law before finally deciding on Bosnia's admission. Ambassador Wolfgang Petritsch spent the past two days in Strasbourg, explaining the Bosnian situation before Council of Europe ministers. Petritsch could only state that to date, Bosnia has met only nine of 40 conditions necessary for admission to the Council. Of these, six were met only after Petritsch's Office imposed passing appropriate legislation. The failure to adopt a permanent electoral law is another step backwards for Bosnia. The High Representative believes, however, that headway has been made, particularly by the establishment of new authorities based on the results of November 2000 elections. For the first time, Bosnia has a government supporting the notion of Bosnia as a state, he said in a statement released by his Office in Sarajevo. Admission to the Council of Europe would indicate that access to European institutions is made through state and not entity bodies of authority. Admission would also further urge politicians in Bosnia to continue with democratic processes, said the statement. (hina) ha