Last week, the OHR(S) and the World Bank were informed that the City Council had unanimously adopted the Mayor’s and the Deputy Mayor’s proposal for the composition of the Management Board of the future unified Mostar water supply company VODOVOD. Subsequently, OHR(S) had invited the newly appointed members of the Management Board to an inaugural session, held last Friday, 28 April 2000. This session was a requirement to finally fulfill the conditions for the World Bank to approve 12 million US $ credit line for the project.
OHR informs with disappointment that this session was boycotted by the Croat members of the Board, namely by Mr. Andjelko Sesar, Mr. Franjo Petric and Mr. Mladen Margeta, for entirely inconceivable and inexcusable reasons. This boycott can only be assessed as a deliberate confrontation with the City Council as the legislative body of the City, as an insult towards to the World Bank and as an challenge of the authority of the OHR. What is even worse, this attitude entirely neglects the needs of the City, of the region and of the citizens living therein.
The OHR has extended another invitation to a session of the Management Board to be held this Friday, 5 May. This is absolutely the last chance for the City of Mostar to obtain the WB credit. Should the session fail again or should the Board fail to make the necessary decisions, the World Bank will have to withdraw their offer.
The OHR (S) calls on all members of the Board to attend. Should they fail, their names will be marked with an extraordinary failure and by behaviour proving detrimental to the future of Mostar. We also call on the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of Mostar to use their influence as the executive body of the City so that decisions by the City Council are implemented.