12/04/2011 Monitoring
Strasbourg, 12.04.2011 – Karin Woldseth (Norway, EDG) and Jean-Claude Mignon (France, EPP/CD), co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Bosnia and Herzegovina, today made the following statement:
“We deeply regret that more than six months after the general elections of 3 October 2010, the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been unable to appoint a new delegation to the PACE.
This means that Bosnia and Herzegovina will be unable to participate in the work of the PACE and of its committees and that, in particular, it will not be represented in the Monitoring Committee which supervises the fulfillment of Bosnia's obligations and commitments since its accession to the Council of Europe in 2002.
We strongly urge the three remaining cantons in the Federation to immediately appoint their delegates in the Federation House of Peoples. This is a pre-condition for the valid constitution of the state-level House of Peoples, one of the two chambers of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly.
We also urge all political stakeholders in the country to finally act responsibly and not to delay any further government formation at state level. Failing to do this will result in further international isolation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as was shown recently with FIFA's and UEFA's decision to suspend BiH from international football competitions.
The citizens of this country do not deserve to be held hostage by narrow political interests and ethnic bickering over posts and positions,” the co-rapporteurs said.