At the inaugural session of the Mostar Commission for Drafting the Statute of City of Mostar held on 22 April 2003 at the City Administration of Mostar, SDHR Ambassador Enver Schrömbgens delivered to members of the Commission the message and the letter from the High Representative Paddy Ashdown. In this letter, the High Representative welcomed the establishment of this Commission by the City authorities, expressed his full support to its work and wished the Commission success in this important and responsible task.
In order to help members in their work on the new Statute of Mostar, the High Representative outlined eight basic principles which should serve as guidelines in their work. This would help ensure that any solution was both workable and in accordance with the Dayton Agreement and European standards.
The eight principles are:
1. No changes to the current boundary of the City of Mostar.
2. A unified and downsized administration for the City of Mostar that ends parallel structures and ensures efficiency and the integration of the City of Mostar.
3. A composition of the City Administration that reflects the last census.
4. A single budget for the entire City of Mostar.
5. Sufficient revenues to ensure the City can meet its responsibilities.
6. A single assembly and electoral system ensuring:
i) representation of all constituent peoples and the others
ii) representation from all parts of Mostar
7. Full respect for the principle of responsibility in office.
8. An institutional mechanism to safeguard the vital interests of the constituent peoples.
It is now fully up to the members of the Commission to work responsibly and transparently in order to find a solution having in mind interests of all Mostar citizens as well as to ensure efficiency and contribute to economic growth of Mostar. It was also emphasized that the Commission should be open for initiatives and constructive proposals of the public, relevant civic society and NGOs operating in Mostar. The future of Mostar should be decided by its citizens.