SCHUMACHER MOOTS REORGANISATION OF BOSNIAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

( Editorial: --> 8715 ) SARAJEVO, Sept 7 (Hina) - Deputy High Representative in Bosnia- Herzegovina, Hanns Schumacher, on Monday started a series of consultations with representatives of political parties in the country. The final goal of the consultations is the reorganisation of Bosnia's Council of Ministers immediately after the elections, which will take place on September 12 and 13. Schumacher today held talks in Sarajevo with Haris Silajdzic, one of the two chairmen of the Council of Ministers, and representatives of the Alternative Council of Ministers, which is the opposition's shadow government. Changes which are being considered concern the role of the Council of Ministers chairmen, the number of ministries, the state budget and cooperation between the Council of Ministers and the entities, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) said in a statement. The OHR believes that the role of the Council of Ministers has to be strengthened and that it should act more efficiently which does not mean that anyone is trying to call into question the authority of the two entities, the OHR said. The OHR will make known its recommendations regarding the reorganisation of the Council of Ministers after the elections, most certainly by the end of September. The formal decision on this issue should be adopted by the Bosnian parliament, the statement said. Unofficial sources say the Council of Ministers could in the future have five instead of the current three ministries. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Economic Relations would continue to exist, while the current Civil Affairs and Communications Ministry would be split into three ministries. It has been estimated that the tasks currently performed by the Civil Affairs and Communications Ministry are too extensive and should exclude finances and refugee care. It is also expected that the Council of Ministers would in the future have one instead of two chairmen. The greatest possible narrowing of the Council's authority was demanded by the Bosnian Serb hardliners led by the Bosnian Presidency's Serb member Momcilo Krajisnik, who refused the idea of the Council functioning as a classic national government. (hina) rml /mbr 071821 MET sep 98