BOSNIAN STATE PRESIDENCY TO DISCUSS NOMINATING NEW BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 2,2007) - The Bosnian State Presidency confirmed yesterday in Sarajevo that it would convene today to discuss the resignation of Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric.In accordance to the Bosnian laws and constitutional decrees, decisions on further measures will be passed.Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric announced his resignation earlier yesterday.

"I wish to inform the Bosnian public that I have officially sent my resignation to the Bosnian Presidency. I also informed the ministers that the Bosnian Government will work under a technical mandate from now on," Spiric told reporters in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

Spiric said he resigned due to his disagreement with the measures of the international administrator in Bosnia to streamline the decision-making process in the country's central government and parliament.

But,the International community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak said it was paradoxical that "the Chairman of the Council of Ministers should resign over measures that are designed to make the council, the body that he chairs, more efficient".

“Nikola Spiric’s decision to resign is his right and his choice, but it is not a responsible action.It will not calm the current political situation but I expect the Council of Ministers to exercise their technical mandate in full,” Lajcak added.

According to Bosnia's law on the Council of Ministers, the Bosnian State Presidency is in charge of nominating the chairman of the council, who then suggests the Bosnian Government.

With the resignation of the premier the entire government, including its nine ministers, is dismissed but continues to function in a technical mandate until the new Bosnian Government is established.

LAJCAK SECURES BACKING FOR REFORM

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 2,2007) - The International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak has won backing for his reform efforts from the group that appointed him as the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia, the Peace Implementation Council (PIC).

The group, which comprises 55 states and international agencies overseeing Bosnia's postwar development supported his "decisions and proposed actions," and specifically his planned changes to the quorum needed to pass decisions in the Bosnian Government and legislation in the Bosnian Parliament.

"The only objective of these measures is to streamline the decision-making process in the Bosnian Council of Ministers and the Bosnian Parliament and they are necessary to speed up the reform process," the PIC said in a statement released at the end of a two-day meeting in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

"Decisions of the high representative must be fully respected and promptly implemented," it said.

Speaking at a news conference Lajcak said, "reactions to my decisions are out of proportion and have caused an artificial crisis that could stop any progress."

The PIC's decision was endorsed by Russia, which added a note to the statement in which it criticized Lajcak's timing. Lajcak should seek to improve the performance of Bosnia's state institutions "in a more stable context," it said.

BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC NOT WELCOMED IN SERBIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 2,2007) – The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic denied yesterday in an interview that he had plans of going to the meeting of the “17th Session of the Igman Initiative”, which is to take place November 11 in Belgrade,Serbia.

The Belgrade portal “Press Online” wrote that the Serbian President Boris Tadic expects the Bosnian President zeljko Komsic to apologize for his recent statements.

As a reminder, the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic commented the Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica’s statement about the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak's recent measures aimed to ensure a more functional and efficient Bosnian Government.The Bosnian President Komsic said that the Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica should “keep his hands off Bosnia for he could get spanked on hands and his nose”. Komsic also said that “we have not forgotten that Kostunica walked all over Bosnia carrying a machine gun in his hand."

”We have not forgotten that Kostunica walked all over Bosnia holding a machine gun. When such a person makes threats of problems in my own house 15 years after, all diplomatic communication will be of no use and unnecessary”,the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic said.

A source for the Press Online Portal from the Serbian President Tadic’s attitude is that the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic will not be welcomed in Serbia until he withdrew his statement on Serbia's Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica. This was stated by one of Serbian President’s closest associates who insisted on remaining anonymous.

The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic, however, said: “I do not care and I am not interested in learning Tadic’s reasons for being angry with me”.

BOSNIAN STATE COURT ORDERED CUSTODY FOR THREE SERBIAN WAR CRIMINALS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 2,2007) - The Bosnian State Court has rendered yesterday a decision ordering a one-month custody for three former members of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), considered to have participated in crimes committed in the Jajce area in the course of 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Acting on a warrant issued by the Bosnian State Prosecutor, the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency arrested Serbian war criminals Mirko (Spiro) Pekez, Milorad (Ljupko) Savic and Mirko (Mile) Pekez on Tuesday, October 30.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor considers that the three Serbian war criminals participated in the murder of 23 Bosnian civilians and caused severe injuries to four Bosnian civilians in 1992.

This case is part of the "Jandric et al" case opened by the Bosnian State Court, because the Bosnian State Prosecutor believes that three more Serbian war criminals, who are currently at large, participated in the same war crimes in Bosnia.

FBIH ENTITY: CRIME RATES DOWN,TRAFFIC CASUALTIES UP

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 2,2007) – The FBIH Entity Minister of Interior Muhidin Alic,stated that the security situation in the last nine months was satisfactory.

He noted that so far all murder cases have been solved this year, as well as six cases from last year. Moreover, crime rates have dropped by 1 percent.

However, traffic safety statistics have become worse, the number of traffic casualties having increased by 21 percent.

“We hope for police reform, which should allow us to organize ourselves better, maximize our capacities and act more efficiently,” said Alic.

OSCE HOSTED A CONFERENCE ON IMPROVING QUALITY OF SCHOOLS IN BOSNIA

MOSTAR, Bosnia (November 2,2007) - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia hosted the “Second Conference for Parents’ Councils from all Primary Schools in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton” in the Cultural Centre Mostar. The event sought to encourage greater parental involvement in the work and life of schools.

The conference, which was a follow-up to the Conference entitled “A Good School Is Built By Everyone” held last May, brought together parents and teachers from all primary schools in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, as well as school directors, representatives from the Herzegovina-Neretva Ministry of Education and representatives from the Pedagogical Institutes in Mostar.

The aims of the conference were severalfold: implementation of the Parent Council Manual for Primary and Secondary Schools; exchange of experiences and good practices in running schools; the work of the Parents-Teachers Councils (PTCs); and close cooperation between teachers and parents councils in the teaching and learning process.

The main issues discussed at the conference were how to improve the work of the PTCs, how to improve cooperation between the PTCs and the school management, and possible financing of PTCs.

“Parents have the right and duty to participate in all levels of decision-making. Today we continued our efforts to promote their active participation. Both parents and teachers reconfirmed their desire to improve the work and quality of schooling,” Sadeta Begtasevic, OSCE Education Officer said.

The conference was the first in a series of such events scheduled to take place this month in Grude, Trebinje, Foca and Mostar.

BOSNIA'S PRIME MINISTER NIKOLA SPIRIC RESIGNES

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 2,2007) - Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric resigned yesterday over a parliamentary reform proposed by the International Comunity's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak.

"For 12 years foreigners have run this country and this is not good. I resign and this is the only right decision," said Spiric.

Lajcak has proposed new rules designed to strengthen the ability of the Bosnian state to enact further reforms that would lead to Bosnian membership in the European Union.

The proposals would change the way a quorum is calculated in order to make it more difficult for lawmakers to block decisions simply by not showing up.

On Wednesday, Lajcak's reform proposals won support from the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, which is comprised of more than 40 countries and international organizations that oversee the conditions of the peace agreement in Bosnia.

"The only objective of these measures is to streamline the decision-making process in the Bosnian Council of Ministers and the Parliament and they are necessary to speed up the reform process," the Peace Implementation Council said.