LAGUMDZIJA - ONLY CANDIDATE FOR BOSNIAN MINISTERIAL COUNCIL'S HEAD

SARAJEVO, July 9 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina's incumbent foreign minister, Zlatko Lagumdzija is the only candidate for the next chairman of the Council of Ministers (the country's government). According to the Television of BiH, this was the result of the consultations which ten parties making up the ruling coalition called 'Alliance for Changes' held throughout Monday. "We believe we shall ensure the support of other parties that have so far supported the Alliance," said Rasim Kadic, a leader of the Democratic Party, adding that he thought of parties from the Bosnian Serb entity. On Tuesday the three-man Bosnian presidency will appoint Lagumdzija as the candidate of the ministerial council's chairman. If he musters the votes of the majority of MPs in the state parliament, Lagumdzija will be at the helm of the council in the coming eight months. He will succeed Bozidar Matic at this rotating post, and both are members of the Social Democrats (SDP), a key party in the ruling alliance. On June 22, Matic tendered resignation only a few days before the expiry of his eight-month-long term of office as the council's chairman. He offered his resignation as a symbolic act of protest over the Bosnian parliament's failure to adopt a permanent election law, drafted by the Council of Ministers. Matic, however, confirmed that he would also step down as the minister in charge of treasury. (hina) ms