FEDERATION PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS SPECIAL RELATIONS AGREEMENT NEXT WEEK

SARAJEVO, Nov 7 (Hina) - The Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina should next week convene to discuss the draft agreement on special relations with Croatia in urgent procedure, House of Representatives' speaker Enver Kreso said on Saturday. The Federation Parliament has still not officially received the text of the initialled agreement, but it is expected that the document will be submitted on Monday, Kreso told Radio BiH. It was only at Friday's session of the Federation Government that it was announced that the initialled agreement would be discussed by the House of Representatives. Until yesterday afternoon we did not receive any materials, but their is still the possibility of urgent procedure, Kreso said adding the Parliament could meet for an urgent session as early as Monday. The agreement on special relations would then be the main item on the agenda of the first working session of the Federation Parliament, constituted in line with the results of the September elections. Quoting reports from Croatia, Sarajevo Radio reported as late as this afternoon that the BH Federation President Ejup Ganic had officially requested the postponement of the signing of the agreement on special relations, which was scheduled for November 6. Ganic explained his request by saying that there was a need to consider "additional proposals and suggestions" by the Federation Government. The Federation Parliament will voice its opinion on the agreement on November 13, Ganic said in his letter. Parliament speaker Kreso could not however, confirm this. Meanwhile, Federation President Vladimir Soljic reacted strongly to the postponement. In a statement released today, Soljic said he learned of Ganic's request from the media, adding there had been no previous consultations with him. "Such an act deserves strong protest and denouncement", Soljic said announcing that he would request the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and international community to comment on this. OHR spokeswoman Alexandra Stiglmayer told Hina that one should wait until Monday for a more complete analysis of reasons for the postponement. What we can say now is that we support the agreement and certainly want it to be signed as soon as possible, she added. The Sarajevo-based daily "Dnevni avaz", which is close to the ruling Bosniak structures, in its Saturday editorial presented numerous negative assessments regarding the content of the agreement on special relations. (hina) rml