The 16 deputies who voted against the amendments fought for a status quo which sustains ineffectiveness and national division which only delay Bosnia and Herzegovina's full Euro-Atlantic integration, the office of the State Department spokesman said.
The Bosnian parliament's lower house on Wednesday rejected draft constitutional amendments, thus stopping a constitutional reform which had been aimed at strengthening the central authorities.
Noting that 26 lower house deputies, only two less than the required two-thirds majority, had voted for the amendments, the State Department said this result nonetheless proved that a change for the better was not only possible but also deeply desired in Bosnia.
The State Department said the US would continue to encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina to carry out the necessary reforms so as to achieve its goal of integrating with Euro-Atlantic structures, thus continuing to support the great majority of the population who advocate a fully functional state and government structures.