28.02.2006 OHR Sarajevo

Transcript of the International Agencies’ Joint Press Conference

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OHR, Kevin Sullivan
OSCE, Aida Besic
EUFOR, Jem Thomas

 

 

OHR

PBS Law Must Be Harmonised

As you know, the FBiH Parliament must fully align its legislation with the Public Broadcasting System Legislation adopted by the BiH Parliament on 5 October 2005. This is a key requirement if BiH is to move ahead with the Stabilisation and Association (SAA) negotiations. 

There have been media reports of proposed amendments to the Federation Radio-Television Law which, if adopted by the FBiH HoR, would mean that it is not in harmony with the State law. These amendments, if adopted, would place the whole process in jeopardy.     

If this system is to become operational, then Entity-level legislation, harmonised with the State-level legislation, must be passed. Without this the SAA requirement will not have been fulfilled.

 

FBiH Parliament  Must  Be Allowed To Discuss Principles of Local Self-Government

As you know, the Amendments to the FBiH Constitution related to Local Self-Government and the Law on Principles of Local Self-Government have languished for two years now at Government and Committee stages – without Parliament having a chance to finally endorse this initiative.

In a positive step, the proposed Amendments to the FBiH Constitution and the Proposed Law on Principles of Local Self-Government have finally entered parliamentary procedure. The OHR calls on the chairmen of both houses of the FBiH Parliament to place the interests of citizens first by putting this legislation up for debate in the FBiH legislature at the next session. 

The current legislation in the FBiH doesn’t conclusively determine which services to the citizen are to be provided by which level of Government. The result is a lack of responsibility and financing, which means taxpayers don’t get the services that they themselves are paying for.

The adoption of the Law on Principles of Local Self-Government at Entity level will be another step towards fulfilling an international obligation that BiH assumed when it ratified the European Charter on Local Self Government on becoming a member of the Council of Europe. The RS adopted its Law on Local Self Government in September 2004.

I should stress that the Law on Principles of Local Self-Government and the associated Constitutional amendments were developed by BiH representatives in cooperation with the Council of Europe.

 

OSCE

Ambassador Douglas Davidson in visit to Visegrad municipality tomorrow

Ambassador Douglas Davidson, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina , will pay an official visit to municipality of Visegrad tomorrow, on 1 March 2006

Ambassador Davidson will meet with Miladin Milicevic, Mayor of Višegrad, and Redžep Jelacic, the Speaker of the Municipal Council of Višegrad. They will use the opportunity to discuss the status of OSCE Mission’s programs in the area of human rights, democratization, education and public administration in Višegrad municipality.

Ambassador Davidson will visit Primary School “Mededa” where he will meet with Slavco Sandev, Director of the School and use the opportunity to meet and talk to teachers and children. Ambassador Davidson will also visit the Basic Court in Visegrad and meet Radmila Bogdanovic, the President of the Court, to talk about the importance of rule of law and the observance of human rights norms and standards at the municipal level.

 

EUFOR

No statement.