NEW LAW ON BOSNIA'S COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ADOPTED

SARAJEVO, April 13 (Hina) - The House of Peoples of the Parliament of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday adopted a law on the state Council of Ministers, which creates conditions for resolving a crisis caused by the blockade of the Council's work, which has lasted more than three months. The law, which was adopted by the House of Representatives earlier, introduces the institute of Council Chairman, who will have two deputies, as well as three new ministries. The Council of Ministers previously had two co-chairman and one vice president and three ministries. The chairman, who is to be appointed by the state Presidency, will have an eight-month rotating mandate. Both the deputies and the chairman will be simultaneously heading one of the three newly-established ministries - of European integration, human rights, and state treasury. The ministries of foreign affairs, foreign trade, and economic relations, which had existed before, will continue to exist. Also new in the new law on the Council of Ministers is that the composition of the Council should be established on the principle of national parity and that all decisions should be made by consensus. Decisions in the ministries should also be made by consensus between the minister and his two deputies, who should come from among the three constituent peoples. (hina) rml