WESTENDORP AUTHORISES BH PRESIDENCY FOR ARMY COMMAND

SARAJEVO, Feb 20 (Hina) - The High Representative in Bosnia- Herzegovina (BH), Carlos Westendorp, has authorised exclusively members of the BH state Presidency for civil command of the country's armed forces. According to this decision, the president of the Bosnian Serb entity, Nikola Poplasen, has actually been denied the position of the supreme commander of the Republika Srpska armed forces. A statement released by the Office of the High Representative (OHR) on Saturday said that the High Representative had decided there was no reason why this issue as well should not be regulated as in other sovereign countries, where presidents of the state are supreme military commanders. The letter, sent to the BH Presidency members, said the BH Constitution envisaged that this function, in case of Bosnia- Herzegovina, belonged to the three-man presidency. All three members of the state presidency are authorised to participate in decision-making as regards military forces, and it is only the three of them, simultaneously, and not the presidency's chairman, who can be the supreme military commander. All current issues regarding that matter should be dealt with by a permanent military committee, the letter said. The OHR has also decided that the BH entities must not encroach upon the powers of the state Presidency, either with their constitutional regulations or with their laws. (hina) rml