“The first priority in the post election period must be a Government made up of parties that support the District,” said Brcko Supervisor Dr. Raffi Gregorian today. He reiterated his call for an effective governing coalition that supports the District and the Final Award in Brcko.
Several of the parties, or party coalitions, who could receive a mandate in the new Assembly are on the record as either opposing the Final Award, or rejecting the measures necessary for the Supervisor to certify to the Tribunal that the District is functioning in an ‘effective and apparently permanent’ manner.
Article 4 of the Brcko District Statute requires all councillors and members of the government to swear an oath before assuming their posts. The oath includes an obligation to uphold the Constitution and laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the awards of the Brcko Arbitral Tribunal, the Statute and the laws of Brcko District, and to protect the interests of Brcko District and the equality and freedom of all people within Brcko District.
“I will not tolerate people swearing an oath which they have no intention of honouring,” said the Supervisor. “Anyone belonging to a party that holds an anti-Dayton or anti-Final Award position had better think long and hard about lying under oath”.
The Supervisor called on parties to ensure that their prospective coalition partners’ track record on the District is explicitly and categorically in line with the Final Award before moving to a vote in the Assembly.
“The District needs the most capable and dedicated people in government, but formation of a pro-District coalition must occur first, then we will see who is put forward for approval by the Assembly,” concluded Supervisor Gregorian.