IZETBEGOVIC DEMANDS SPEEDIER AGREEMENT ON CONTROVERSIAL BILLS

SARAJEVO, Mar 23 (Hina) - The President of the Presidency of Bosnia- Herzegovina (BH), Alija Izetbegovic, on Sunday requested the Council of Ministers of BH to undertake measures to eliminate the current standstill in the adoption of a dozen bills necessary for the functioning of the state, Izetbegovic' office said in a statement. In a letter forwarded to the co-presidents of the Council of Ministers, Haris Silajdzic and Boro Bosic, and other members, Izetbegovic warned that a planned donors' conference to aid BH was only a month away, and that another postponement, caused by a delay in the adoption of a so called package of bills, to be passed quickly, proposed by Carl Bildt's Office, could have unimaginable economic, social and political consequences. If they were unable to agree on the bills and reach long-term solutions, Izetbegovic requested of the Council of Ministers to agree on the minimum necessary for their passing. "Since I believe that it is in the interest of all citizens of BH, I appeal to all members of the Council of Ministers to make additional efforts, in order to bring the proposed package before the Assembly of BH as soon as possible", Izetbegovic said in his letter. For the past two months, the Council of Ministers has been discussing a dozen bills which would determine the central state authority in key territories, but they agreed only on three of them. (hina) ha 232043 MET mar 97