SDA WILL NOT SUPPORT POLICE REFORM LAWS

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia (April 8,2008) – The Main Board of the biggest political party in Bosnia,SDA,confirmed at the session held in Banja Luka that the party will not support the police reform laws. SDA party leader Sulejman Tihic stated that Bosnia is experiencing a halt in progress and that the problems that exist in the parliamentary majority are best seen through the set of laws on police reform.

Tihic stated at a press conference after the Board’s session that his party holds that the laws offered are not even the mere beginning of police reforms, unlike the defense reform which clearly presented all the standards and rules.

”Depending on which of the International Community's High Representatives is present in Bosnia, the three EU principles are commented differently”, Tihic stated and added that the existing police reform would only legalize the current situation.

He emphasized that the claims that he has given up the Mostar Declaration are not true He added that the Declaration contains in the text the three EU principles, but none of the principles are present in the “so-called police reform laws”.

”The Mostar Declaration clearly states that the existing local police structures are only a part of a unified police system, which is the condition I insisted on prior to singing of the Declaration”, Tihic said.

He confirmed that he had informal meeting on Saturday with Bosnia's Prime Minister Nikola Spiric. They all remained loyal to their police reform attitudes.

”Spiric again stated that he will not be Bosnia's Prime Minister if the police reform laws are not adopted. I told him that it will happen if the SDA party’s amendments are accepted”, Tihic said.

He emphasized that SDA will not enter opposition if the police reform laws are adopted and added that it would not be good if the laws are adopted without support of the biggest political party in Bosnia.

SDA may trigger the vital national interest protection issue, but that depends on what is adopted.

Tihic added that if “such a reform” is condition for signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Bosnia and the European Union, it is better than to conclude the agreement without the piloce reform laws and continue the police reform after constitutional changes are made.

SDA party’s Main Board held the session in Banja Luka for the first time. Several conclusions were adopted. Tihic emphasized that the Board adopted conclusion that Srebrenica needs to be granted a special status at the local elections, for that same practice is seen in Mostar and Zepce.

”Genocide occurred in Srebrenica and we cannot legalize any such situation at any elections. That would cause far-reaching consequences and we are of the opinion that the town needs to be made a legal exception”, SDA party leader said and added that the goal is - enabling the Srebrenica citizens vote in accordance to the 1991 census.

Returnees were an important topic of the session. SDA Main Board once again emphasized the need of implementation of the Bosnian Constitutional Court’s Decision on the Peoples’ Constitutivity. The party also emphasized the need of introducing symmetric solutions in entities, meaning identical representation of the Bosnia's constitutive peoples in authority structures, according to the 1991 census.

In that sense, Tihic gave an example that RS has all the jurisdiction, while the two vice presidents are not dealing with important issues.

The SDA Main Board also welcomed the NATO Summit’s decision on inviting Bosnia to approach the Intensified Dialogue phase. The party officials are of the opinion that that is primarily the result of defense reforms in the country, in which SDA greatly contributed.

Also, the SDA party demands all the employees at the Bosnian State Parliament not to accept solutions proposed on the increase of salaries and pensions and also urges the delegates to fight for solutions which will be in accordance to the current economic and social situation in the country. The party officials added that soldiers, police officers and state servants should be favoured.

The party sharply condemns all the attempts of threatening Bosnia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and demands the Bosnian state institutions and the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) to take measures against such persons.
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