$ NS BY START OF ELECTIONS SARAJEVO, Aug 2 (Hina) - The Bosnia-Herzegovina Republic Parliament at Friday's session asked that the process of coordinating the Bosnian Federation and Serb entity constitutions with the Dayton
Constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina be completed by the beginning of Bosnian elections in September.
CONSTITUTIO
$ NS BY START OF ELECTIONS
SARAJEVO, Aug 2 (Hina) - The Bosnia-Herzegovina Republic Parliament
at Friday's session asked that the process of coordinating the
Bosnian Federation and Serb entity constitutions with the Dayton
Constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina be completed by the beginning of
Bosnian elections in September. #L#
Parliament representatives said that that was the only way to
make the elections valid, and that it would ensure the
implementation of the Dayton Agreement.
If the request is not fulfilled, there is a possibility that
the Parliament will call all parties to boycott the elections.
President of the Parliament Legislative Committee Kasim Begic
informed the representatives that a special foreign task group
which had been established after the meeting in Florence, had
analyzed everything that had been done as regarded the coordination
of the entities' constitutions.
It was established that the bodies of authority in the Bosnian
Federation had fulfilled most of the commitments and that there
remained the issues of customs, foreign trade, civilian command of
armed forces and nomination of military officers and ambassadors.
The Assembly of the Serb entity accepted some 10 amendments to
the Constitution of Republika Srpska which the Bosnian Serbs
consider as constitutional and want to strengthen its sovereignty,
which is in opposition with the Dayton Agreement.
"Bosnia is a country where federal elements dominate over
confederal ones. It is not a union as has been attempted to
establish in the Serb entity," Begic said, stressing that the Serb
entity authorities were forcing secession, thus misinterpreting the
Dayton accords about the possibilities of special connections with
countries neighbouring with Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Representatives supported a suggestion that the Serb side be
asked to act in accordance with the Dayton peace accords.
International peace coordinator Carl Bildt told Parliament
representatives of both entities to inform him about the measures
of coordinating the constitutions by August 12, and that it be
completed by the start of the elections.
The first deadline which had been set expired on March 14.
(hina) lm
021548 MET aug 96