SARAJEVO, April 12 (Hina) - The House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Parliament on Monday opened a debate on the state of security and the problem of terrorism. The debate lasted more than seven hours and
the house postponed the adoption of conclusions for Tuesday. Prior to the debate, the first man of the federal Interior Ministry, Mehmed Zilic, submitted a report on security problems in the Federation and the assassination of his deputy Jozo Leutar. Federal investigators are still searching for Leutar's assassins and perpetrators of other terrorist acts, Zilic said without presenting any concrete results of the investigation. The interior minister spoke about the assassination of his deputy solely within the context of the fight against organised crime. Despite difficulties, "the noose around the necks of those running organised crime is getting tighter", wh
SARAJEVO, April 12 (Hina) - The House of Representatives of the
Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Parliament on Monday opened a
debate on the state of security and the problem of terrorism.
The debate lasted more than seven hours and the house postponed the
adoption of conclusions for Tuesday.
Prior to the debate, the first man of the federal Interior Ministry,
Mehmed Zilic, submitted a report on security problems in the
Federation and the assassination of his deputy Jozo Leutar.
Federal investigators are still searching for Leutar's assassins
and perpetrators of other terrorist acts, Zilic said without
presenting any concrete results of the investigation.
The interior minister spoke about the assassination of his deputy
solely within the context of the fight against organised crime.
Despite difficulties, "the noose around the necks of those running
organised crime is getting tighter", which is proved by "an
increasing number of attacks on and killings of police members,
which culminated with the assassination of Deputy Minister
Leutar", Zilic said.
He then objected that political decisions on the organisation of
the Interior Ministry were not being implemented, that cantons were
enjoying too wide powers in the area of interior affairs and that
there was a lack of necessary coordination and information system,
as well as that police were not wearing uniform insignia.
Part of MPs voiced dissatisfaction with Zilic's report. A Croatian
Democratic Union of BH (HDZ BiH) representative, Valentin Coric,
said that Zilic, as well as the complete government, should resign
because of Leutar's assassination.
"The cause of terrorism lies in unresolved political problems",
said Coric, warning that assassinations would stop once political
problems were solved. Federation Premier Edhem Bicakcic replied
saying that Coric behaved in an anti-federation manner.
Leutar was killed exactly because he supported the Federation,
Bicakcic added.
The HDZ party bench's president Mato Franjicevic warned that after
Leutar's assassination, the Croat people in the Federation had
reason to fear for their status. Bosnian Croats have the right to
fear possible intentions of creating a unitary Bosnia-Herzegovina,
which could be implemented under the pretext of a civil society,
Franjicevic added, calling for the strengthening of the Federation
and mutual trust, which is what would prevent terrorism.
(hina) jn rml