The joint declaration, signed in Mostar by Dragan Covic of the HDZ BiH, Bozo Ljubic of the HDZ 1990, Milorad Dodik of the SNSD and Mladen Bosic of the SDS, says that efforts to form the government at the state level of Bosnia and Herzegovina must adhere to the principle of equality of all three constituent peoples.
They called on representatives of the Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) people to join in the talks on the establishment of state-level executive authorities.
In response to reporters' questions, HDZ BiH leader Covic dismissed that this stalemate in the Bosnian Federation could be interpreted as a conflict between Bosniaks and Croats.
"This is not a conflict between Croats and Bosniaks, but a conflict which the SDP (Social Democratic Party) has with the rule of law. We are willing to talk about the establishment of the government, provided that the Constitution and laws are respected," Covic said, adding that the HDZ BiH did not want a Bosnia marked by arrogant relations.
Bosnia and Herzegovina's Central Election Commission (SIP) annulled last week's election of the president and the two deputy presidents of the Bosnian Federation (Croat-Muslim entity), SIP chairwoman Irena Hadziabdic said on Thursday, adding that the decision, which was not made unanimously, could be appealed.
The SIP has established that the election of Zivko Budimir as the president of the Federation and of Svetozar Pudaric ad Mirsad Kebo as the two deputy presidents was unlawful, as their election was conducted in the Federation bicameral parliament's House of Peoples although that upper house was not founded in compliance with the election law.
Last week, a bloc led by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) saw to it that Budimir, Pudaric and Kebo be elected as the Federation's leaders so that the SDP-led coalition could continue with forming the new government.
The SDP-led coalition has said that it will not respect the SIP's decisions, explaining that it will only abide by rulings to be made by the Federation's Constitutional Court.
The Court has not yet convened a session to consider the case.