SARAJEVO, Sept 10 (Hina) - High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown on Tuesday called on Bosnian citizens to take part in the general election scheduled for October 5 and to give their vote to those politicians and
parties who are prepared to implement necessary reforms.
SARAJEVO, Sept 10 (Hina) - High Representative for Bosnia-
Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown on Tuesday called on Bosnian citizens to
take part in the general election scheduled for October 5 and to
give their vote to those politicians and parties who are prepared to
implement necessary reforms. #L#
At a press conference in Sarajevo, Ashdown told potential voters
that in four weeks time they would be given a unique opportunity for
a historical choice.
According to Ashdown, the following four-year mandate of a new
government will definitely decide whether Bosnia-Herzegovina
would succeed in implementing reforms or fall through.
The choice is clear and simple: either a powerful country will be
set up here or Bosnia-Herzegovina will stagnate and watch how its
neighbours are included into Europe, the British diplomat said.
He did not wish to state whether the international community had any
favourites in this year's election run up, stressing that he was
personally interested in cooperation with Bosnian politicians and
added that the cooperation would not be founded on persons but
rather reform programmes.
According to a public opinion poll in Bosnia-Herzegovina, less then
a month prior to the election, three leading national parties would
not have a parliamentary majority necessary to set up an executive
government.
This year's election in Bosnia-Herzegovina is particularly
important because for the first time since the war, the election is
entirely being organised by local authorities while the
international community is only participating as an observer of the
election process.
The October election will be monitored by an observer mission
founded by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe's (OSCE) Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
The head of the mission, Peter Eicher, stated on Tuesday in Sarajevo
that 30 observers from 15 countries had already arrived in Bosnia
with the task of monitoring the election campaign and other
administrative preparations.
Just prior to the election in Bosnia, another 250 observers will be
sent to monitor voting and the count of ballots after the election.
(hina) sp it ha