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OSCE deeply concerned about Bosnia and Herzegovina House of Representatives' vote
SARAJEVO 22 June 2001
SARAJEVO, 22 June 2001 (OSCE) - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina is deeply concerned about the Parliament's failure to adopt the Election Law, an essential piece of legislation for Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the requirements of the EU Road Map.
"This Election Law would not only have been the second most important legal document after the country's Constitution, but it also represents an important precondition for the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into Europe", said Ambassador Dieter Woltmann, Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina expressed its strong disappointment that political parties could not reach a compromise yesterday in the interest of the population. "It's a definite step back for the country", commented Ambassador Woltman.
In the past five years, the OSCE Mission has organized six elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the Rules and Regulations of the Provisional Election Commission. The next elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina are scheduled for October 2002. The timeline for preparations is very short and the situation is worrying since the country does not have an election system or a Permanent Election Commission to which the OSCE could transfer resources from previous elections.
The adoption of the Election Law is also one of the prerequisites for the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Council of Europe.
For more information please call OSCE Acting Spokesperson Sanela Tunovic at ++ 387/33 292-338 or at ++387/66 134-758.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.
"This Election Law would not only have been the second most important legal document after the country's Constitution, but it also represents an important precondition for the integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into Europe", said Ambassador Dieter Woltmann, Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina expressed its strong disappointment that political parties could not reach a compromise yesterday in the interest of the population. "It's a definite step back for the country", commented Ambassador Woltman.
In the past five years, the OSCE Mission has organized six elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the Rules and Regulations of the Provisional Election Commission. The next elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina are scheduled for October 2002. The timeline for preparations is very short and the situation is worrying since the country does not have an election system or a Permanent Election Commission to which the OSCE could transfer resources from previous elections.
The adoption of the Election Law is also one of the prerequisites for the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Council of Europe.
For more information please call OSCE Acting Spokesperson Sanela Tunovic at ++ 387/33 292-338 or at ++387/66 134-758.
The OSCE established its present Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 December 1995. In accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), the OSCE Mission activities are to: promote Democratization and the building of a vibrant civil society, foster the development of professional journalism and monitor the rights of journalists, monitor and advance the Human Rights situation, supervise the conduct of Elections, and encourage Regional Stabilization through arms control and confidence and security-building measures. The OSCE Mission continues to work closely with other international organizations and local institutions to implement the Dayton Peace Accords.