BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT'S COMMISSION FOR DEFENCE AND SECURITY REJECTS POLICE REFORM LAWS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 14,2008) – Bosnian Parliament's Commission for Defence and Security has rejected police reform bills.The Commission did not adopt a single amendment to the draft law on direction for coordination of police bodies and support agencies to police structure in Bosnia and draft law on independent and supervisory bodies of police structure in Bosnia.

Both these propositions had number of amendments proposed to them mostly by SDA delegates Bakir Izetbegovic and Hazim Rancic, SBiH Adem Huskic and Remzija Kadric , HDZ 1990 Vinko Zoric and SDP BiH Jozo Krizanovic.

Basics of these amendments are that these bodies have jurisdiction over state institutions (SIPA and border police) but also over local police bodies.

Six members of SDA, SDP and SDS parties voted against the provisions which would introduce a police coordination directorate, a policing support agency and other independent supervisory bodies in the police structure of Bosnia. Votes in favour were cast be six members of SBiH, SNSD, HDZ BiH and HDZ 1990.

The no-go report will be submitted to the Bosnian Parliament, and if it is adopted, the bills will be rejected. If it is not, the bill will be sent for a repeated deliberation and vote by the Commission.

The International Community's High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak expressed his disappointment by the fact that the Commission failed to submit to the Bosnian Parliament the police reform bill for adoption, and expressed his hope that this would be rectified in its next meeting with a positive report.

The Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives will discuss the police reform bill next week, and it can then ask the Commission to reconsider its decision.

Lajcak said that this session should take place as soon as possible, because every day wasted takes the country further away from signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU.
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