BH CONSTITUT. COURT TO RULE ON CONSTITUTIONALITY OF PEOPLES FEB 18

SARAJEVO, Jan 31 (Hina) - The Constitutional Court of Bosnia- Herzegovina (BH) has postponed passing a decision on regulations of the country's two entities' constitutions which contest the constitutionality of the three peoples living in BH throughout its territory. It is expected a position on the matter will be taken at a session scheduled for February 18, BH Constitutional Court president Kasim Begic told reporters in Sarajevo on Monday. The Constitutional Court is expected to take a position regarding the constitutionality of regulations of the two entities' constitutions according to which the only constituent peoples in the Federation of BH are Croats and Muslims, and in the Bosnian Serb entity Serbs. Begic confirmed today the Constitutional Court at its recent three- day session passed important decisions adjusting the terminology of entity constitutions with the BH Constitution. He also reminded the Constitutional Court, while assessing the constitutionality of the Law on the Council of Ministers, ruled that the institutions of two deputy chairmen and one vice president were not constitutional. "This indirectly brought into question the personnel composition of the entire Council, but has not brought a constitutional crisis," Begic said, rejecting similar allegations which have already appeared in the media. It is now up to the BH parliament to adopt appropriate changes of the contentious law and thus enable undisturbed functioning of the Council of Ministers, said Begic. He confirmed one of two judges from the Bosnian Serb entity had resigned on his membership in the Constitutional Court, but pointed out this had not brought into question any of the already adopted decisions. (hina) ha