A political process aimed at finding an agreement on implementing the BiH Constitutional Court’s ruling on Mostar was launched in Sarajevo today. Meeting at the OHR, representatives of political parties based in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and represented in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly began to discuss solutions that would allow local elections to be held in Mostar, on the basis of an electoral system that is in line with the rulings of the BiH Constitutional Court. Representatives of the Serb caucus of the Mostar City Assembly also participated.
Urging party representatives to find a solution for Mostar, High Representative Valentin Inzko underlined the wider importance of implementing the Court’s verdict: “There are many things that are a matter of choice for institutions and politicians, but the Rule of Law is not one of them.”
Recalling that decisions of the Constitutional Court are final and binding, Inzko told party representatives that failure was not an option. “You must negotiate, compromise and go the extra step that will ensure the Court’s ruling is implemented. The citizens of Mostar deserve to have a democratically elected legislature and executive in place with undisputed mandates and without any further delay.”
Following the exchange of views among the parties today, Principal Deputy High Representative Roderick Moore will pursue bilateral talks with all participants in the coming weeks, beginning tomorrow, so as to move the political process forward as swiftly as possible.
Ambassadors of the PIC Steering Board, as well as the heads of the OSCE and Council of Europe missions, attended today’s meeting in a demonstration of international determination to help domestic actors find a solution.