25/03/2011 President
Strasbourg, 25.03.2011 – Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has expressed serious concern that, almost six months after the 2010 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, authorities have not been established at every level, stalling urgently-needed reforms.
Speaking today at the end of a three-day follow-up visit to the country, the President called on all political stakeholders to engage in meaningful negotiations and, if necessary, make concessions in order to come to a compromise. “The current institutional model is not perfect, and its limitations are well known. But as long as it exists, everbyody has to play by the rules.”
Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whatever their ethnic origin or affiliation or place of residence, were suffering as a result of the deadlock: “A whole country cannot be held hostage by politicians who cannot agree.”
Mr Çavuşoğlu also called for the urgent appointment of the country’s new delegation to the Assembly, as well as its representatives in other key Council of Europe bodies. “I am not in favour of sanctions,” the President said, “but Bosnia and Herzegovina is isolating itself without members in key Council of Europe bodies, including the Assembly. This is worse than sanctions.”
He again urged the key political stakeholders to establish “a serious domestic institutionalised process” to draft constitutional amendments in order to execute the binding judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdic and Finci case, and improve the functioning of Bosnia’s institutions at every level.
During his visit, the President met the members of the Presidency and Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as leaders of key political parties.