BOSNIAN SERB PARLIAMENT ENDS CONSTITUENT SESSION

SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, Nov 4 (Hina) - Petar Djokic of the Socialist Party of Republika Srpska won the majority of votes for the post of parliament president of the Bosnian Serb entity, which on Wednesday closed its constituent session begun last week. Nikola Poplasen was sworn in and officially took over from Biljana Plavsic the post of President of the entity. According to results from a September election, Mirko Sarovic stepped into the office of vice president. "I hand over Republika Srpska which has firmly taken the path of democracy," Plavsic told Poplasen, advised him not to change the government under Premier Milorad Dodik, and to continue fighting crime. In his inaugural speech, Poplasen said the Dayton peace agreement, despite being a "legalistic compromise typical of western countries", deserved full support. It is pointless to dispute the peace agreement, he said, adding it must be defended "from the international community as well." The new Bosnian Serb President advocated stronger joint authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, stronger ties with Bosnia's other entity, the Croat-Muslim Federation, as well as with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the West, Russia, and Byelorussia, and speedier privatisation among else. (hina) ha mm