SARAJEVO, May 6 (Hina) - The parliament of the Federation adopted a new law on rights of veterans which for the first time after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina regulates in the same way the status of veterans, who were soldiers in the
former Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina and soldiers of the Bosnian Croat Defence Council (HVO).
SARAJEVO, May 6 (Hina) - The parliament of the Federation adopted a new
law on rights of veterans which for the first time after the war in
Bosnia-Herzegovina regulates in the same way the status of veterans,
who were soldiers in the former Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina and
soldiers of the Bosnian Croat Defence Council (HVO).#L#
After the House of Representatives adopted the law, the upper house of
the parliament did the same on Thursday which meant that the law
officially took effect.
Both houses also accepted the motion of the federal government that
the law should not be applied on HVO veterans until the end of 2005 as
their income would considerably be reduced in case the law covered
them now.
The parliament and the government of the Muslim-Croat entity asked the
Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina to launch an initiative in
order conclude a bilateral agreement with Croatia on the continuation
of financial assistance to Bosnian Croat veterans who have so far
received support from the Croatian budget.
Any other solution would be unacceptable for Croat veterans as their
current income would be reduced fourfold with the enforcement of the
new law, said Mato Franjicevic, the head of the club of Croat MPs in
the federal parliament's House of Peoples.
(Hina) ms