OHR
No statement.
OSCE
Public Outreach Initiative seeks to improve government communication
The OSCE Mission in BiH, during February and March continues Public Outreach Initiative project aiming to increase citizen engagement and participation in BiH. A series of five one-day training will gather over 40 representatives of municipal administration, non-governmental activists and journalists across the country.
The goal of the Public Outreach Initiative programme is to stimulate interactive communication between administrative bodies and citizens through the media and NGOs. During the workshops, participants will discuss the significance of two-way communication in a democratic society and the creation of a positive social environment.
Citizens rarely communicate with representatives at a higher level of authority. For that reason, the OSCE Mission to BiH continues to work at the local authority level, but is also planning to work with the higher levels of government on the improvement of their communication with the public as well.
In two-way communication, when there is a message that is supposed to be sent from government to citizens, or the other way around, media can play a key role. The OSCE Mission to BiH hopes that the message the participants will take away from the workshops is that good communication between all players is one of the pre-conditions needed to strengthen democracy.
The sessions will be taking place for five weeks, every Tuesday in Banja Luka and every Thursday in Mostar starting today, on 21 February.
EUPM
BG Coppola visits Zenica-Doboj Canton on Thursday
In the scope of his visits to the EUPM collocations across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brigadier General Vincenzo Coppola, EUPM Head of Mission, will pay his first official visit to Zenica-Doboj Canton on Thursday, 23 February.
During his visit BG Coppola will meet with the EUPM staff in Zenica, and with Muhidin Alic, Minister of Interior and Fahrudin Becirovic on behalf of Police Commissioner’s Office. He will use this opportunity to discuss the current situation in the area, the activities of police in the Canton and their cooperation with the EUPM. BG Coppola will also brief the interlocutors about the new re-focused approach in the implementation of the EUPM mandate, new priorities and plans for the upcoming period.
Further details on the press/photo opportunity will be issued tomorrow, on 22 February 2006.
EUFOR
No statement.
RTQ:
AFP:
Oleg, with regard the negotiations on constitutional changes – I know the OHR is not directly involved in this process – but I would like to know the following; if any advance in the negotiations is made in the course of this week, is there a possibility that you will then propose amendments to for example, the Election Law? Especially considering that if constitutional changes are the made, the subsequent amendments must be made to the Election Law at least six months prior to the date the elections are to be held. That deadline is in a few days? Have you given that any thought?
OHR:
Well, you are right – the OHR is not directly involved in that process. However, let me explain the process: first an agreement would have to be reached on the constitutional changes which would then have to be put before the Parliament; after which all the other Laws would be amended in accordance with those changes.
AFP:
Question’s recording sound not clear
OHR:
That is a question, which the Parliament and party leaders involved in this process should answer. A legal course of action, which should be adhered to, exists. It is now up to them to pass the amendments as soon as possible in order for this to happen.
AFP:
I am not sure if you know whether the deadline is the 1st of March, or exactly six month before the exact date when the elections will be held – I do not know what date the first Saturday in October exactly is.
OHR:
I would have to check that, but I would prefer if the Election Commission answered that question for you – all of that is under their jurisdiction.