BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT'S HOUSE OF PEOPLES ADOPTS POLICE REFORM LAWS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (April 17,2008) – The Bosnian Parliament’s House of Peoples has approved yesterday two critical police reform laws, taking the country one step further in its EU accession process. After this legislation was approved last week by the Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives, all conditions have been fulfilled for Bosnia to sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, considered the first step towards the EU membership.

The two laws establish a number of coordinating and supervising bodies in line with EU requirements.

The legislation does not insist on a greater centralisation of Bosnia’s state, entity and local police forces, but includes a compromise amendment stipulating that further reforms will be made pending eventual future constitutional changes.

EU officials said the EU will analyse adopted legislation and if satisfied will offer Bosnia to sign the SAA agreement, which could happen already by the end of May.

The EU Police Mission in Bosnia (EUPM) head, Italian Brigadier General Vincenzo Coppola also commended the adoption of police reform laws.

The decision, Coppola said, "not only moves the country out of the police reform deadlock as a major obstacle on its path towards the EU membership, but also represents a step forward towards the creation of a more efficient police structure."

He warned however that "the process of police reform has only begun."

In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier praised Bosnia's politicians for passing the laws and said he was "confident" that the SAA would be signed shortly.

After months of stalled negotiations,the two police reform laws were adopted yesterday with 10 votes in favor and four votes against.

Delegates from the Party of Democratic Action, SDA, and the Social Democratic Party,SDP,voted against the legislation. SDA and SDP demanded larger centralisation of police forces.

However, they were outvoted by majority grouped around two key parties – Bosnian Party for Bosnia,SBIH,, SZBH and the Party of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, the HDZ and HDZ 1990 parties also supported the legislation.

The SDA party even considered to try to block the legislation by citing violation of vital national interest, but dropped the idea since other Bosnian delegates voted for the reform, local sources said.

SDA is still contemplating possibility to challenge this legislation at the Bosnian Constitutional Court, but their chances for success look slim and this should not prevent signing of the SAA agreement.

The President of the Party of Democratic Action and the Speaker of the Bosnian State Parliament’s House of Peoples Sulejman Tihic stated last week that the police reform laws adopted by the Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives on Thursday are a matter of shame for Bosnia and for the European Union and that the act of adopting the bills is legalization of war solutions.

”These laws are a matter of shame for Bosnia and for the EU because they are legalization of war solutions, legalization of Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadzic’s police which committed genocide”, Tihic told the press.

”That is just another historical mistake made by the International Community and domestic politicians," Tihic said.
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