SARAJEVO, Dec 21 (Hina) - Implementing economic reforms, enabling refugees to return and strengthening the bodies of authority at the state level will be the main priorities of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina in
2001, High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch told reporters in Sarajevo on Thursday. Petritsch said his key priority would be the establishment of a united state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Summing up results achieved in the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, Petritsch said he was generally satisfied with the achieved progress but also warned that many problems remained to be solved. More refugees than ever have returned to their homes in Bosnia-Herzegovina this year but almost 250,000 property claims are still waiting to be resolved by the local bodies of authority, he said. Petritsch said he was satisfied with the fact that the powers and composition of the BH Council of
SARAJEVO, Dec 21 (Hina) - Implementing economic reforms, enabling
refugees to return and strengthening the bodies of authority at the
state level will be the main priorities of the international
community in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2001, High Representative
Wolfgang Petritsch told reporters in Sarajevo on Thursday.
Petritsch said his key priority would be the establishment of a
united state of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Summing up results achieved in the implementation of the Dayton
peace agreement, Petritsch said he was generally satisfied with the
achieved progress but also warned that many problems remained to be
solved.
More refugees than ever have returned to their homes in Bosnia-
Herzegovina this year but almost 250,000 property claims are still
waiting to be resolved by the local bodies of authority, he said.
Petritsch said he was satisfied with the fact that the powers and
composition of the BH Council of Ministers in the previous period
had been extended, which helped create conditions for that body to
become a modern government.
However, that government will have to take over more responsibility
and become the generator of all important changes, said the
international official criticising the poor performance and lack
of responsibility of local politicians.
The poor functioning of bodies of authority on almost all levels
prompted Petritsch to in 1999 impose 52 different decisions,
including 44 laws and amendments to existing laws. He replaced or
suspended 28 elected officials for obstructing the implementation
of the Dayton agreement.
These figures, he said, are the best indicator that many things in
this country are still not functioning well.
The country will face a new painful reality next year and that
reality is contained in the fact that the world will reduce all
forms of assistance to the country, primarily due to the changes in
Croatia and Yugoslavia. Those two countries have accepted
responsibility for their fate, which still has not happened in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Petritsch said.
He added he could not understand why BH politicians were stalling
the establishment of new authorities on the basis of results of a
recent general election. Such conduct, he said, can only worsen the
situation as the international community will not have a partner to
work with.
(hina) rml