LOW TURNOUT IN BOSNIAN LOCAL ELECTIONS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (October 6,2008) - The first batch of elections results for municipal mayors was been published by the Bosnian Central Election Commission shortly after midnight today. Results for municipal assemblies, as well as more detailed results for the mayoral polls, are expected later today and in the coming days.

The Bosnian Central Election Commission expressed satisfaction that the Bosnian local election appeared to have passed without major incidents. Polling stations opened at 0700 CEST (0500 GMT) and closed at 1900 CEST (1700 GMT) on Sunday.

“We are satisfied having in mind that so far there were no major incidents.We also have to be satisfied with the turnout so far,” Suad Arnautovic, the Bosnian Central Election Commission’s President, told a press conference.

More than three million Bosnian citizens were registered to vote for city councils and mayors throughout Bosnia. The overall turnout was 44.54 percent by 1400 GMT, roughly the same as the 45 percent turnout in the 2004 local elections.

Four Sarajevo municipalities, as well as Banja Luka, Tuzla and Zenica, registered an extremely low turnout which in some places was even under 40 percent, while in some smaller towns like Banovici and Bosanski Petrovac turnout exceeded 74 percent.

The first set of results reaffirmed that the strongest Bosnian political party remains the Party of Democratic Action, SDA.Results also indicated that the main opposition the Bosnian Social Democratic Party, SDP, maintained a rather strong position, especially in urban areas, including at least two out of four Sarajevo municipalities.

Leader of the genocidal Serbian fascist creature in Bosnia "RS" Milorad Dodik's SNSD won the majority of votes of the Serbians living in Bosnia.The HDZ and splinter group HDZ 1990 won the majority of votes of the Croatians living in Bosnia.

However Results are still unknown for 25 out of 149 municipalities, including several key municipalities and towns, such as Srebrenica, Tuzla and Banja Luka.
.

SDA ADOPTS DECLARATION ON THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT

BRČKO, Bosnia (September 22,2008) - The Main Board of the largest Bosnian political party - the Party of Democratic Action (Bosnian: Stranka Demokratske Akcije - SDA) has adopted the Declaration on the full implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement at its meeting in Brčko.SDA also requested more determination from the international community in the field of reforms Bosnia needs to implement, because of a drastic deterioration in the political situation in Bosnia, especially with respect to the Dayton Peace Agreement enforcement.

According to the SDA, the Bosnian constitutional reform is the key condition for the international community withdrawing from Bosnia.
.

TIHIC AND HOSSEINI DISCUSSED COOPERATION BETWEEN BOSNIA AND IRAN

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (August 22,2008) - The President of the largest Bosnian political party - the Party of Democratic Action (Bosnian: Stranka Demokratske Akcije - SDA) Sulejman Tihic met with the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Bosnia Ahmad Fard Hosseini yesterday.They discussed cooperation between the two friendly countries and exchanged their views on current political issues.

The two officials emphasized that cooperation between Bosnia and Iran was in the interest of all Bosnian and Iranian citizens.The meeting reviewed the existing level of cooperation and underlined the need for promoting robust ties as their existed tremendous scope of cooperation in various fields.

Ambassador Hosseini expressed his hope that Bosnian politicians would succeed in reaching a consensus and meet the conditions of the Stabilization and Assocation Agreement with the European Union.

Tihic thanked the Iranian people and leadership for their support and generous assistance to the Bosnian people during the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia.
.

SDA EXPECTS LAJCAK TO REVOKE RESOLUTION ON KOSOVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (March 1,2008) – The President of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA Sulejman Tihic said he finds it the International community High Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak’s obligation to nullify the Kosovo resolution recently adopted by the genocidal Serbian creature in bosnia {"RS").

This is a normal conclusion after the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council denounced the document, Tihic stated, claiming its adoption was illegal and an anti-Dayton Agreement and anti-constitutional act.
.

SDA CRITICIZES LAJCAK FOR SUPPORTING ENEMIES OF BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 26,2008) – The Party of Democratic Action (SDA),which is the strongest Bosnian political party, stated that the “forces of Bosnia” are now much stronger than before the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia and would protect integrity of Bosnia's borders.

“Those who have problem with the Bosnian State or who don't see it as their country, can leave for wherever they want, but they cannot take any part of Bosnian territory,” the SDA statement read,demanding the Serbians living in Bosnia stop contemplating independence.

The SDA also criticised the International Community's High Representative Miroslav Lajcak who on Friday met the prime minister of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia (RS) , Milorad Dodik, in an attempt to calm tensions that have arisen since Kosovo's declaration of independence.

“The behaviour of the international community is worrying, especially the behaviour of High Representative Miroslav Lajcak,” the SDA said, criticising Lajcak for tolerating radical rhetoric from the political representatives of the Serbians living in Bosnia “without undertaking of any measures.”

Lajcak rebuked the SDA's allegations, asserting “I don’t know whether they are aware how dangerous their message is. No party can decide who can live in this country and who cannot.”

He said that a key part of his mandate is to meet all of Bosnia's senior politicians, including Dodik as well as SDA leaders.

Lajcak emphasised that during the meeting with Dodik, he supported the existence of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia (RS) and that it has no legal right to secede.
.

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ADOPTED POLICE BILL WITHOUT APPROVAL OF SDA PARTY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 16,2008) – The Bosnian Council of Ministers in Sarajevo adopted,with majority votes,without the approval of the SDA Party,the draft law on Direction for Coordination of Police Authority and Agencies for Support to the Police Structure in Bosnia, as well as draft law on independent supervisory bodies of police structures in Bosnia.

Legislature office of the with majority votes is obliged to, based on the agreement of the Work Group for Police reform, prepare a draft law and send it to the Bosnian Parliament for discussion.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers Chair Nikola Spiric stated at the press conference that it is good that a level of agreement was preserved according to Mostar Declaration and expressed his expectations that this dedication will be shown by the Bosnian Parliament as well.

He pointed out the importance of these legislative projects on the road to EU with belief that representatives of Peace Implementation Council will be in opportunity to conclude the progress in this segment.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers adopted the presentation document if the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) which was proposed by the Bosnian Ministry of Defence. The Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is obliged to deliver this document to the Bosnian Presidency for further procedure.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers adopted the agreement on disposal of all rights and obligations of movable assets which would be used for defence needs and authorized Spiric to represent the Council in signing of this agreement after which it will be delivered to entity governments for adoption.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also concluded the draft law on protection and saving of people and material goods in case of natural and other disasters in Bosnia.With this law, an operative communication center in Bosnia is introduced as well as a system of unique European number for emergencies 112.

As it was stated by Spiricr, by adopting these documents, that is draft laws, another step forward has been made in the Bosnian defence reform as well as in Bosnia’s road to full membership in NATO and signal was sent before the summit in Bucharest planned for beginning of April.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also discussed on the draft law on salaries of the Bosnian government employees.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also adopted the draft law on changing and amending the law on criminal procedure in Bosnia.Important changes and amendments of this law, which was forced by the International Community's High Representative in 2003 and later confirmed by the Bosnian Parliament came from the practice in which some earlier made legal solutions were hard to implement.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers also adopted the draft law on medications and medical aids.

The Bosnian Council of Ministers obliged the Bosnian Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees to prepare decisions on the naming of Board members of the Genocide Memorial Center Srebrenica-Potocari and cemetery of the genocide victims and deliver it to the Bosnian Council of Ministers by the end of February.
.

SDA: POLITICAL PARTIES WHICH DO NOT ADVOCATE INTERESTS OF BOSNIA WANT TO SEE OHR DISMISSED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 26, 2008) – The Party of Democratic Action (SDA) is against the attempts of annulment of the Office of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) or redefinition of its role.

”OHR’s role cannot be changed before this country’s Constitution is changed. Dayton Agreement cannot function without the Annex 10, which is related to the OHR. It serves to unblock all the obstacles that have been put into the Dayton Agreement”,the SDA Party said yesterday.

The Party of Democratic Action added that annulment of the OHR or the Bonn Powers is advocated by political forces that have been obstructing reform processes in Bosnia.Also,their contribution to the country is questionable.

The SDA is of the opinion that the OHR can be dismissed once Bosnia becomes an EU and NATO member.

The party calls the Peace Implementation Council not to let destabilization of Bosnia which would happen if the OHR is closed.

”The political crisis in Bosnia that happened two months ago clearly warns us against that move”, the SDA stated.

The Peace Implementation council (PIC) is the only body that can decide on the future of the OHR, Oleg Milisic, OHR's Spokesperson stated yesterday.

He said that in a reaction to attitudes presented by the prime minister of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia ("the RS") Milorad Dodik who stated that the OHR should end its mission in Bosnia.

Milisic could not confirm if the PIC will discuss the fate of OHR at the meeting that is to be held in Brussels in late February, but did say that this body will continue monitoring the political and security situation in Bosnia.