BOSNIAN SERB PARLIAMENT FAILS TO APPOINT NEW GOVERNMENT

( Editorial: --> 3921 ) SARAJEVO/BIJELJINA, Jan 12 (Hina) - Members of the People's Assembly of the Bosnian Serb entity on Monday selected the most responsible functionaries of parliament on the basis of results of last year's special elections. However, today's meeting in Bijeljina failed to debate the composition of a new government. A majority of MPs voted to re-elect Serb Democratic Party (SDS) candidate Dragan Kalinic as parliamentary speaker. The two deputy speaker positions were filled by the Serb Radical Party and Bosnian Serb president Biljana Plavsic's Serb National Alliance. MPs did not accept demands by the Coalition for a United and Democratic Bosnia-Herzegovina that one of the deputy speakers be a Bosniak (Moslem). But they accepted a proposal that a constitutional change be made to add one more deputy speaker position, which would be filled by a Bosniak MP. Plavsic's proposed candidate for new prime minister, Mladen Ivanic, did not get a chance to address parliament and present his program. Because of opposition by SDS and Radical Party members, it was agreed only that Ivanic hold separate talks with MPs from various parties and that his candidature and the composition of the new government be discussed at the next parliamentary session on 17 January. (Hina) mm mb 122036 MET jan 98