SDA SPOKESMAN: VIEWS ON SPECIAL RELATIONS AGREEMENT DIFFER

SARAJEVO, Nov 16 (Hina) - The approaches to the agreement on special relations between the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia differ both within the Coalition for an Integral and Democratic Bosnia-Herzegovina (CD Coalition) and the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), SDA spokesman Adnan Jahic said in Sarajevo on Monday. However, these differences are not unusual when it comes to major questions like the agreement at hand, Jahic told Hina. "As regards the Federation side, opposing views regarding the agreement itself and its contents and purpose exist generally", the spokesman said. This weekend's consultations between CD Coalition MPs in the Federation Parliament and Federation President Ejup Ganic on the agreement proved that their views on the document also differed. A considerable number of MPs contested the very purpose of the agreement as well as its content. This, however, is not the CD Coalition's final decision because it will respect the decision of the majority in the Parliament, Jahic said. The SDA believes that the agreement should be signed and the final decision on its fate should be made by the parliament, Jahic says. "Whether the Parliament will really convene by November 19 I cannot say, but we want and expect that", he said. Asked to comment on the statement by Deputy High Representative Jacques Klein regarding today's postponement of the signing of the special relations agreement, Jahic said the international community wanted to see documents envisaged by the Dayton peace agreement signed, but sometimes it was the form rather than the content that seemed to matter more. "The most important thing for us is that these agreements are not adopted hastily but go through legal procedure, which again does not mean that the agreement will not be signed and implemented", he concluded. (hina) rml/sp