SARAJEVO, June 26 (Hina) - The international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the new head of the OSCE Mission to the country, Robert Beecroft, have condemned the failure of the country's
parliament to adopt a permanent election law and requested local bodies of authority to complete this task immediately and without further delay. Oleg Milisic, spokesman for the OHR, told reporters in Sarajevo today that Petritsch met Beecroft yesterday, immediately upon Beecroft's arrival in Sarajevo. They have agreed that the country cannot wait until September for the adoption of a permanent election law because the law must be adopted immediately. This is a matter of days and not weeks, Milisic said. He reminded that the next general election, including a vote for the state presidency, should be held in October 2002, and a prerequisite for them is the establishment of a co
SARAJEVO, June 26 (Hina) - The international community's High
Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the
new head of the OSCE Mission to the country, Robert Beecroft, have
condemned the failure of the country's parliament to adopt a
permanent election law and requested local bodies of authority to
complete this task immediately and without further delay.
Oleg Milisic, spokesman for the OHR, told reporters in Sarajevo
today that Petritsch met Beecroft yesterday, immediately upon
Beecroft's arrival in Sarajevo.
They have agreed that the country cannot wait until September for
the adoption of a permanent election law because the law must be
adopted immediately. This is a matter of days and not weeks, Milisic
said.
He reminded that the next general election, including a vote for the
state presidency, should be held in October 2002, and a
prerequisite for them is the establishment of a complex mechanism
which will carry them out.
The High Representative did request an extension of the deadline
for considering the country's admission to the Council of Europe
but the country cannot wait for this for long, he said.
OSCE Mission spokeswoman Sanela Tunovic said foreign members of a
permanent electoral commission will have to be appointed in July
already and in the months to follow preparations for next year's
elections will be carried out.
The parties of the country's ruling coalition Alliance for Changes
have expressed satisfaction with the fact that the country's
possible membership in the Council of Europe will be considered
only in September.
According to first reactions, coalition leaders say this is a proof
coalition members acted right by rejecting a draft election bill
which was not in line with the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Alliance expects it would be possible now to practically
implement a Constitutional Court decision on the equality of all
three constituent peoples on the entire territory of Bosnia-
Herzegovina and later adopt an adequate election law.
However, spokesman Milisic says such expectations are unrealistic.
"The BH Constitution cannot be changed with an election law and the
implementation of the Constitutional Court decisions will require
a longer deadline than September. The election law cannot wait that
long," Milisic said.
(hina) rml