CONFERENCE ON FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN BOSNIA ENDS

SARAJEVO, Feb 15 (Hina) - Participants in a one-day conference on the prevention of corruption, which took place in Sarajevo on Monday, appealed on politicians at all levels to join in the fight against corruption. The conference, chaired by the international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, gathered Bosnia's senior officials, representatives form the two Bosnian entities - the Croat-Moslem Federation and the Serb entity - public figures and foreign diplomats. At the end of the event the participants concluded that Bosnia's senior officials should be asked to sign all international conventions on the prevention of corruption. They agreed that it was necessary to harmonise the legislation on this matter in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska in order to prevent further inter-entity criminal acts in this field. A deputy of the High Representative, Ralph Johnson, said it was necessary to set up structures that can effectively fight against corruption. According to politicians and diplomats who attended the conference, corruption poses one of biggest threats to the conduct of the Dayton agreements in Bosnia and is undermining democracy in the country. The President of the Croat-Moslem Federation, Ejup Ganic, advocated a great rise in salaries of judges so that their independence can be strengthened and they can be freed from politicians' clout. (hina) ms