SARAJEVO, Sept 29 (Hina) - The international community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, said on Friday he has had enough of "lying and irresponsible" local politicians who are obstinately avoiding to
accept their share of responsibility for the situation in the country, and added his patience is running short. In an extremely sharp statement unprecedented since he took over his post in Sarajevo, Petritsch told reporters in Sarajevo the irresponsible behaviour of local politicians and elected officials was too much, adding similar behaviour in any other country would be enough for such persons to vanish from the political scene for good. The Austrian diplomat, whose public statements so far have been very measured, said he lacked words to describe what was actually going on in the country. Petritsch said the example of the extremely irresponsible conduct was the refusal o
SARAJEVO, Sept 29 (Hina) - The international community's High
Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch, said on
Friday he has had enough of "lying and irresponsible" local
politicians who are obstinately avoiding to accept their share of
responsibility for the situation in the country, and added his
patience is running short.
In an extremely sharp statement unprecedented since he took over
his post in Sarajevo, Petritsch told reporters in Sarajevo the
irresponsible behaviour of local politicians and elected officials
was too much, adding similar behaviour in any other country would be
enough for such persons to vanish from the political scene for
good.
The Austrian diplomat, whose public statements so far have been
very measured, said he lacked words to describe what was actually
going on in the country.
Petritsch said the example of the extremely irresponsible conduct
was the refusal of the parliaments of the country's two entities to
adopt new pension laws and the obstruction of the introduction of
uniform travel documents in the state parliament.
The High Representative said he had decided to make short work of
dealing with the latter problem. I will declare the law on uniform
passports and I will do it today, Petritsch said.
However, he dismissed the possibility of imposing the law on
pension insurance, emphasising this was the task local authorities
had to face. He warned though that the reorganisation of the pension
system was a basic precondition for the continuation of the
international community's financial assistance to the country.
Petritsch said it was incomprehensible that parliamentary deputies
in the country were refusing a law which guaranteed further
financial support.
World Bank executive director Pieter Stek said during a visit to
Sarajevo today the total loss would be much higher because the
International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other donors would
cancel their loans as well, making the loss rise to 250 million
dollars.
The international community is ready to give up on Bosnia-
Herzegovina because its attention will anyway soon shift to
Yugoslavia, following the expected democratic changes, Petritsch
warned.
(hina) jn rml